Never tease a cursed dragon
by Kou Shuurei-sama
Summary: Based on the classic story of Beauty and the Beast: Hermione finds herself imprisoned by Draco, who had been cursed and wanted to find a cure almost as bad as he wanted Hermione to love him back as much as he loved her. Placed after the Battle of Hogwarts, EWE, Dramione pairing. Rated M for later chapters. The story has a sequel named 'Never provoke a nice dragon', so check it out!
1. Prologue

**A/N:**

Based on the classic story of Beauty and the Beast, in my story Hermione finds herself imprisoned by Draco, who had been cursed and who is desperate to find a way to return to his former self.

This story is complete, though it is possible that I will write a sequel sometime in the future. There will be explicit mature content later on in this story, so readers please be warned.

The Prologue and first chapter are more about setting the background for the story, so I apologize in advance for the lack of action, but starting with chapter two there will be plenty of action as well. Reviews are always welcome and constructive criticism is also OK, as I want to grow as a writer.

That being said, I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own the Harry Potter story/characters.

* * *

 **Prologue**

The Second Wizarding War was over, and Voldemort had been defeated – but not without a very high price. The Wizarding world had buried their dead an mourned them, but at least their losses hadn't been in vain: despite the escape of a couple of Death Eaters (Mulciber Jr, Nott Sr., Rosier and Thorfinn Rowle) who were in hiding but hunted relentlessly by Aurors, most of them were either dead or otherwise securely locked up in Azkaban (the prison being guarded by an incredible number of wards and enchantments, but also by Aurors) – all was safe.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was being repaired at full speed, so that once the first of September came, it would be able to welcome students – including those who wanted to repeat the previous year.

As only a month had passed since the fateful Battle of Hogwarts, the wounds were still fresh for many – not physical wounds, no, those had been expertly treated by healers from St. Mungo's hospital, but wounds of the soul.

The Weasleys were among those who had been affected the most, having lost Fred – and although getting Percy back was some comfort, they were still suffering pretty badly, especially George. As a consequence, Fleur's family had invited them all, Harry and Hermione included, to spend a couple of weeks in France, in an attempt to help them move on with their lives.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley declined the invitation, and so did George and Percy, and Charlie was already back to his dragons in Romania – however, Ron and Ginny were eager to go, to get away from the pain for a while and let time work its healing magic, and they were especially eager to go due to the fact that Harry and Hermione had agreed to go with them.

Hermione had already retrieved her parents from Australia, and restored their memories of her, although it hadn't been easy to correct the modifications to their minds that she had made the previous year. As such, she was OK with letting them resettle in their life in the UK, while she escaped for a couple of weeks to France, a country she had previously visited and which she loved.

As for Harry, he definitely needed a chance to get away – he was now even more famous than before and he hoped that the journalists would settle down a bit while he was travelling abroad. Besides, spending time with Ginny away from her parents and most of her siblings was very appealing to him. Sure, Bill and Fleur had promised to keep a close watch on them all, but Bill and Fleur were pretty much newlyweds, so they knew what it meant to be in love and to want to spend time with the one you loved, especially after going through a war. Ron would probably have an issue too, he was extremely set against seeing his sister snog his best friend in public (that is to say, in front of him), but Harry hoped he would be too distracted snogging Hermione to notice anything he might or might not do.

So in the first week of June, they had taken a portkey that got them to their destination, a quaint inn by the name of "La potion moussante" in the Loire Valley, which was their touristic destination. They would spend a week there, and then continue on for another week or two back in Lyon, where Fleur's parents lived.


	2. The castle and the curse

**Chapter 1. The castle and the curse**

Hermione had somehow managed to get separated from her party by lingering to admire the books that the Chateau Chenonceau had in its library. As she was the only one in their group with such a fascination with books, not to mention her knowledge of muggle books (being muggle born), Hermione had told Ron, who seemed to want to linger behind with her, that he should catch up with everyone else and they could regroup in the waiting line for tickets to enter Chateau Amboise.

It was about 10 miles to Chateau Amboise, so it should have taken Hermione no more than 20 minutes to get there, as she only needed to get to a secluded spot far away from people, and then she could apparate to a similarly secluded place and walk a bit more until she got to her destination. However, once she apparated, she realized something had gone wrong, as she was nowhere near the castle - she seemed to be completely lost.

She silently cursed herself for not focusing on where she was going, letting her mind run wild with her – but there wasn't much she could do about it, her thoughts were stubbornly filled with Ron, Ron and more Ron. Hard not to be when he clung to her as if they were attached at the hip, Hermione thought gloomily.

The events of the past year were swirling inside her mind – she remembered how everything seemed to have fallen in place with Ron and her after Dumbledore's funeral, how being on the run from Voldemort while trying to find and destroy the horcruxes hadn't seemed so bad when she thought of having Ron by her side, but then Ron had let that stupid Slytherin locket influence him, and he deserted Harry and Hermione during a very difficult time.

Hermione tried not to hold that against him – and mostly she succeeded in doing so, especially when she remembered that he _did_ come back, and he destroyed the locket, and then him and Harry and poor Dobby had saved her from the clutches of the deranged Bellatrix Lestrange, and of course, then there was that perfect moment at Hogwarts when Ron had finally shown that he had been listening to her about her cause to support the rights of house elves, and they had kissed and it had been everything she had dreamed of for so many years… well, that was, until Harry butted in, but then again, she couldn't hold that against him, he was right, that was hardly the time to be kissing, with a battle raging all around them.

Then Voldemort had finally been defeated, and despite the heavy losses, Hermione had thought she could find solace in Ron, that they could comfort each other, and help each other move on… but things hadn't turned out quite like that. Ron seemed to want to move past all the drama simply by kissing – all the time! And kissing was a kind word for it, as his enthusiasm in this activity seemed even greater than when he had been snogging Lavender Brown, may she rest in peace.

Hermione really loved Ron, but apparently their physical way of showing it wasn't really compatible - in fact, Hermione was unpleasantly reminded of Cormac McLaggen, and her association with him, however brief, was something she was trying very hard to forget.

So this was a problem that weighed heavily on her heart and mind, and it was the reason, other than her love for books, that had made her linger without Ron in the castle's library. He had had the decency not to kiss her in a castle full of tourists, but he had been holding her hand, and although until recently she found the gesture reassuring, now she just felt she needed a little space.

And it appeared she had gotten her wish, as Hermione had no idea where she was and how she had managed to apparate in the wrong place and not reach Chateau Amboise – perhaps it was due to the fog that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere not five minutes ago, followed closely by an increasing darkness that was quite unusual for a late afternoon on a summer, could it have interfered somehow with her apparition? Hermione had never heard of such a case before, but where magic was concerned, nothing was quite out of the realm of possibility. She was about to cast the four point spell to get her bearings, when she thought she saw something through the dense mist, a dark shape that might just have been a castle.

Hermione happily quickened her pace towards it, glad she had finally found her destination – while it was true that being a Gryffindor meant that bravery was one of her chief traits, she couldn't help a shiver of unease at the thought of being alone in such unnerving surroundings.

However, she soon found out she had been hasty in feeling relief, because once she reached the enormous iron wrought gates of the castle, she realized it looked nothing like Chateau Amboise. This castle was much more… gothic, for lack of a better word. It had a lot of battlements and towers, and it was heavily adorned with gargoyles that were looking down forebodingly. Moss hung to the ancient grey walls, giving the castle a strange, greenish hue that was reminiscent of the Slytherin House. It looked, to all intents and purposes, to be deserted – to have been deserted for a very long time.

Although, Hermione noticed, there was something that seemed to go against that particular theory: the castle's gardens were filled with roses for as far as she could see. There were roses of every color there (some which she had never seen in nature and was quite sure must have been a product of magic) – and she doubted such roses could have bloomed so magnificently if they had been neglected for years on end, even though their magnificence was somewhat overshadowed by countless branches of thorns that seemed to have slithered around and around, so that they encased the roses tightly.

Despite herself, Hermione was thoroughly intrigued. A hidden castle in the Loire Valley? Even if it was a castle belonging to an ancient wizard family – as she strongly suspected -, it was highly unusual for it to be hidden not just from the muggles, but also from the wizarding world, and she was sure she had never read about a castle being hidden in this area.

Sure, Hermione realized she couldn't possibly know everything there was to know about the wizarding world, no matter how much she read, so all in all, the castle was worth investigating. Still, she thought it would be foolish to enter alone in an ancient, possibly abandoned, wizard castle, therefore she decided to send her Patronus to get a message to her friends and bring them there. She was sure that the famous Amboise castle would prove much less fascinating than an obscure wizard castle, so Hermione was sure that Harry and the Weasleys would jump at the opportunity to explore it.

She cast the four point spell and once she had figured out where she was, Hermione sent her otter Patronus with the instructions to her friends. After that she turned towards the imposing iron gates, and with a "here goes nothing" shrug of her shoulders, gave them a push.

* * *

Draco's head snapped up from the book he was intently reading ("Powerful curses and the way to undo them" by Wilhand Wisdomer - the latest in a great number of books he had been reading in the past weeks in hopes of finding a way to return himself to human form, all to no avail), as he felt a push toward the wards that surrounded the castle. Who had managed to find his castle?! And why hadn't they run away screaming by the gloomy look of the place? It must be the roses, he thought, cursing his weakness for that particular flower. He knew he shouldn't have come up with that variation of the Orchideous incantation, but his "Rosa coloratum floresco" spell had yielded the rose garden that had been his sole consolation during the past month of self imposed isolation. Sure, at one point the mere sight of the beautiful roses, so unlike his hideous self, had sent him flying into a rage and with an incantation he came up with on the spot ("Multi magna spinam cresco") he had made the roses the prisoners of thorns, just like he was a prisoner of his own making in the bleak old Malfoy castle.

One might wonder how could Draco Malfoy, of all people, ever call himself "hideous", when everyone knew he was quite conceited and arrogant about his good looks, but none had seen him after "the incident", as he called it in his mind.

It had happened quite unexpectedly, not a week after the Battle of Hogwarts had ended. The Malfoys had gone through a trial at the Ministry of Magic, so that their fates could be decided. Lucius Malfoy had been sentenced to a decade in Azkaban, and taken there immediately after his conviction, while Draco and Narcissa had escaped with just a warning to completely mend their ways, and with the caveat that they'll be kept under watch for a while.

Draco and his mother had exited the Ministry somewhat surprised that they had escaped with merely a warning – the testimonies of golden boy Harry Potter and muggle born Hermione Granger had been paramount to their verdict of "cleared of all charges". Even the Weasel had contributed, albeit with much less effect, given that his poor acting skills couldn't hide his intense dislike for the Malfoys. He had probably been dragged to the trial as a witness by goody two shoes Granger, or at least that's what Draco thought – although he didn't really think about Granger in those terms.

He had been raised as the Malfoy heir, and that had come with certain teachings, a certain mentality, such as to consider himself above all others (being from an ancient and noble wizard family that was in the Sacred Twenty Eight), to despise muggle born wizards and witches, to call them mudbloods, and that was to name just a few examples. It was only normal then, that he'd come to Hogwarts prepared to hate people like Hermione Granger, and it only got worse from there, when year after year she finished ahead of him when it came to grades – his father was not pleased, and there was a time when making his father proud was everything to Draco.

But in time, especially after the punch he received from Granger in their third year, Draco seemed to have come to his senses, his views had started slowly changing, in spite of himself and everything he had been brought up to be, so that now he felt a reluctant gratefulness towards the girl he had once loved tormenting. Well, if he were being honest with himself, that's not all he felt for her – he also felt a great deal of respect and admiration, and there was something else, something that had been increasing in intensity ever since he saw her at the Yule Ball on the arm of Viktor Krum (an arm that, at the time, he remembered he had felt an incredibly strong compulsion to break). But he never allowed himself to dwell on that "something" for long.

That was neither here nor there, bottom line was that his mother was free, Draco was free, and there seemed to be a future for them after all – something that had seemed impossible under Voldemort's reign of terror.

His hope for a bright future was quickly blown to smithereens though, as not one minute after he had stepped out of the Ministry, he heard a coarse voice mumbling an incantation that sounded like "Bestia Verto!" or something, and pain like nothing he had ever felt before hit every bone, muscle and nerve in his body.

Over the excruciating pain he managed to hear his mother screaming and then she apparated them both to the Malfoy mansion, but not before he managed to catch a glimpse of Rosier, his wand directed toward him and an evil grin on his face. After that everything had gone black.

He had woken up a full day later, in his own bed, his mother's muffled crying coming from somewhere nearby and as he had struggled to rise and try to ask her what was wrong, he froze, horrified by the sight of his "hands"… only they weren't hands, but huge clawed paws, and throwing aside the sheet that had been covering him, he stared, transfixed at the rest of his body, which was equally beast like – he was much larger than before, longer legs, wider torso, and he was covered in fur. He had paws for feet as well, with claws just as big as those on his "fingers"…

He only half heard his mother explaining that Rosier must have considered them traitors, and seeing as they were related (through Druella Black, who had been Rosier's sister as well as Draco's grandmother), he had taken it upon himself to punish them for defecting. She told him, between uncontrollable sobs, that for the past 24 hours, she had brought the best healers to try to reverse his condition, but that apparently it was no mere transfiguration, nothing simple like turning a bird into a goblet. It had been a transmutation curse, and apparently no one knew a cure or counter curse or anything else that might turn him back into his human self.

Draco had cut her short by asking for a mirror… and when he had finally beheld his horned head, the long snout and long sharp teeth, he had let out a howl that was very relevant to how little humanity was left in him at that moment.

Coming back to the present from the horrible memories of Rosier's attack which hunted his sleep every night, Draco pushed off from the chaise lounge on which he had been reading (yet another book that didn't seem to hold the way for him to transform back), and in one long jump he reached the window, he opened the stained glass that obscured his view and gazed upon the castle gates, to identify what had caused the perturbation of his wards.

The curse that had turned him into a beast was not without certain "advantages", although Draco would have given them up in the blink of an eye if he could have his human form back. In his beastly form he was extremely agile, he had very good sight, smell and hearing, he was incredibly strong, and he guessed he was probably impervious to most curses, though he wasn't keen on testing that theory any time soon.

Putting his superior sight to good use, he noticed that there was just one intruder – and a small one at that, a girl by the looks of her, and then, his heart lurching and beating wildly in his chest, he realized he knew that bushy hair all too well.

Granger!

What twisted fate had brought her to him, Draco wondered forlornly, when he was in the form of a beast and wanted nothing to do with no one, least of all her, who already had reason enough to hate him, without seeing him in his horrifying state?

He wondered whether his wards and protective enchantments would hold against such a formidable foe, given that he had placed them with muggles in mind, first of all, and only after them wizards and witches. It was clear his magic wasn't strong enough, given that she had reached the castle at all – she shouldn't have been able to do that, as Draco had cast several repelling charms on the castle that were supposed to make sure no one would get there, and that even if they did, that they wouldn't see the castle.

Extremely dissatisfied with his own person – something which was becoming second nature to him after the last couple of weeks that he had spent as a beast, Draco was getting ready to cast an obliviating charm on her, but he discovered that he couldn't do it. That unidentified "something" that he had never dwelled on for long was once again interfering, telling him that he shouldn't turn her away, but rather draw her in… and keep her there…

And that something inside him practically purred within him (Draco wondered absently whether his beast form could actually purr – not having had motives to be content lately, he hadn't had a chance to find out …. so far) at the idea of not being alone anymore, at being with someone, at being with _her._

But Draco waved aside such foolishness, and considered, with his resourceful Slytherin mind, whether she, of all persons, might be able to break the curse. She was the brightest witch of her age after all, wasn't she? The golden girl from the trio that had defeated Voldemort – sure, Potter had gotten most of the glory, but Draco was sure that without Granger, neither the "Chosen One", nor the Weasel would have lived to tell their tale. Granger was clearly the brains of the operation, she was also an extremely talented witch and she had probably read more magic books than anyone alive, which meant she was the most likely to find a solution to his "furry problem".

With that reasoning in his head, he took out his wand and started lifting the wards and enchantments, while the first smile in what seemed like an eternity played on his lips - and not even the thought of what that inhuman smile must look like could erase his excitement.

* * *

Hermione had initially thought that the gates would not open, but then she tried again, and to her delight, she managed to push them aside, and step into what looked pretty much like the enchanted garden of Sleeping Beauty's castle. Having been raised by muggle parents, she knew all the classic fairy tales, and she had loved the idea of magic and enchantments long before she found out they were real.

Everything around her screamed "enchanted castle": the mysterious fog and darkness in the air, the multitude of roses and thorns, the foreboding look of the castle with all its towers and gargoyles…. But this only made her excitement grow, as she ventured forth toward the heavy wooden castle doors, her wand at the ready.

She noticed that there was writing inscribed on a crest above the door. She whispered "Lumos" and looked closer at the crest, in the white-blue light that came from the tip of her wand. Hermione read the words "Sanctimonia Vincet Semper" inscribed on what was definitely a coat of arms which bore the colors black, green and silver, as well as images of what looked like two snakes intertwined on top of the crest, with two dragons on the sides.

The color theme, plus the choice of serpentine creatures, not to mention the words she translated as "Purity Always Wins" on the coat of arms left her in little doubt that the castle belonged to a family of pureblooded wizards with a long tradition in Slytherin House… which meant bad news for her, a muggle born Gryffindor.

But Hermione was not one to shy away from a challenge and exploring a spooky castle was a childhood fantasy of hers, so telling herself that the others won't be far behind, being summoned by her Patronus, she tried the doors, wondering whether she'd have to cast Alohomora - but it turned out they opened willingly.

Holding her breath, which was a considerable feat given the effort she had to put in opening the doors, she pushed them aside and entered the castle.


	3. The meeting and the negotiation

**A/N** : Time for an update – I know, earlier than anticipated, but this was a lucky exception (as in, I stayed up till 1 AM to write, despite having an alarm set for 6:30 AM *sigh). In this chapter Hermione and Draco meet, though whether she figures out who the Beast is or not, remains to be seen.

I'd like to mention that I took the description of the beast from Wikipedia, as I pretty much imagined the story with Disney's Beast in mind (well, except for the tusks, I left those out for my story). However, fear not! Handsome Draco will return, eventually (and may I mention that only after his return will we have use of that M rating, obviously!), so stick around!

Oh, I also took a couple of lines from the 1991 Beauty and the Beast animation, thought it'd be a nice touch.

One more observation: as you might have noticed, I write in third person style, but at the same time I want to tell the story from both Hermione and Draco's POV, therefore I will present certain scenes twice, from different perspectives, I hope that won't bother anyone too much.

Thank you CountryBaby93 for the reviews and I also want to thank everyone who follows the story and added it to their favorites.

This chapter is a bit long, but I didn't see a good way in which I could cut it shorter. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 2 The meeting, the negotiation and the invitation to dinner**

As soon as the doors closed behind her (with an ominous sound that in any other moment would have alerted her to possible danger), Hermione felt her jaw drop in awe at the wonderful entrance hall she had stepped into.

Everything was covered in white marble, and there were marble columns and elegant archways that lead to unknown chambers on both the right and the left side of the hall. Straight ahead of her there was a grand marble staircase that split halfway up and lead to different parts of the castle. The entrance hall was incredibly high, and the ceiling was made of beautiful ornate six part rib vaults – and not even the fact that most of the ornaments and decorations had the repeating pattern of snakes and dragons could take away the breathtaking effect the room had on anyone who beheld it.

She barely had time to register those details though, as out of nowhere a house elf appeared right in front of her, said a squeaky "Sorry, Miss", took her wand from Hermione's startled and therefore light grasp, and then with a snap of its fingers, disappeared as if it had never been there.

"Hey, where did you go?" shouted Hermione, her voice filled with unease.

"Give me back my wand!" she demanded, although she imagined that it was pointless - its master had put her up to it, and it was not a good sign. At least she found the answer to the question whether the castle was abandoned, not that it did her much good now that her wand was gone. Without it, Hermione felt extremely exposed and vulnerable. She tried to draw deep breaths, so as to calm herself down and fight against the wave of panic that she could feel was constricting her throat.

The fact that she hadn't been attacked, but simply disarmed, was quite encouraging – it meant that whoever she was dealing with didn't want her dead, but probably didn't know whether she was dangerous or not and what her intentions were.

"I didn't mean to intrude, I got lost, saw the castle, and since it looked abandoned I just entered - I didn't know there was someone living in here – and the doors were open", she added as an afterthought. Now that she found herself in such a predicament, Hermione realized that she had let her enthusiasm run away with her, and she had forgotten basic manners, like knocking before entering. No wonder she had been disarmed, she would have done the same to anyone who ventured uninvited into her home.

"I mean no harm, so could you please give me back my wand?" she added hopefully.

There was no reply. Indeed, there didn't seem to be any sound at all, it was decidedly eerie.

"I simply need directions toward Chateau Amboise, can you help me?" she asked again, but once more there was no answer.

Well, while there was no immediate threat, Hermione was quite ill at ease, and being wandless, she decided it would be wiser to get out while she still could, and wait for her "reinforcements" to arrive, so that together they could retrieve her wand and then be on their way. Apparently the owner of the castle was as "prickly" as the thorns in his garden must be.

She turned and tried to open the doors, but they wouldn't budge. She tried again, throwing her whole weight against the doors, but it was all for naught.

"Great, exactly what I needed", she muttered under her breath. Things kept on getting better and better by the second.

"Look, I'm sorry for entering without permission, if you could just return my wand to me, I'll be happy to be on my way".

Silence…

While she didn't want to resort to threats, Hermione didn't see that she had much of a choice.

"Before I entered this place, I sent my friends a message – they'll come looking for me before long and you can be sure they won't be happy when they find out I've been held against my will. They're all pretty powerful spell casters, so I'm sure you'd rather avoid…"

She didn't get to finish the sentence.

"Your friends won't find you here", a deep voice rumbled from somewhere up above.

Hermione tried to find the source of the voice, but she couldn't detect any movement, nor could she see anything that seemed alive – although it was hard to tell in the dim candle light that was casting strange shadows over the many statues decorating the place.

"But of course they will", Hermione said, with a confidence she didn't really feel. "I gave them the exact location of the castle and they weren't far away, I'm sure they'll be breaking down your doors any minute now."

"They won't find the castle, and even in the unlikely case in which they do, they won't be able to get through the gates", said the voice, and to her annoyance, Hermione thought she could detect a trace of amusement in his tone – it was undoubtedly a man who was speaking.

"Well, if I found the castle and managed to enter on my own, how do you figure five of my friends won't be able to do it?"

"First, because you're the brightest of them all, so I'm not surprised you found the castle", the voice said and this time there was clear amusement in his tone. "And secondly, it was _I_ who lowered the wards and protective enchantments to let you in – and now that I've got you here, I've put them back in place, and doubled them for good measure".

Hermione was speechless, and that wasn't something that happened to her very often, having been known in school as a ("insufferable") know-it-all, who always had the right answer in class.

"How do you know me?" she asked in a smaller voice now, as it was clear that her reputation preceded her – whoever the owner of the castle was, he knew about her. Perhaps he knew her in person? But she had only been to France once before, and she hadn't met any rich, pureblooded witches or wizards then, so that wasn't very likely.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out, if I have my way - and mind you, I usually have my way."

She scoffed at his high handed manner – some people thought that having a huge castle gave them the right to look down on everyone else… then she realized he _was_ probably looking down on her from one of the upper floors, so that made her bite back an acid comment that was on the tip of her tongue.

"Let's say, for argument's sake, that my friends will indeed fail to come for me. I gather you allowed me entrance because you want something from me. State your purpose!"

"I require your knowledge to reverse a curse".

What? Hermione was once again without words. That was it? She said the first thing that crossed her mind.

"And you couldn't just ask nicely? You had to take my wand and lock me in?"

Perhaps not the most subtle way to go about things, but if all he needed was her help, then her predicament was as good as solved. She was pretty good at finding solutions to magical problems.

"I'm afraid I can't afford the luxury of doing things _nicely_. The best healers and curse breakers money could buy have already tried their hand at reversing the curse, and they failed miserably."

Hermione noticed there now there was bitterness in his tone, no trace of amusement left.

"And you think that I stand a chance when all those experts failed?"

She knew her reputation was pretty good, but it was not _that_ good.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out… eventually" he said ominously.

Hermione gasped at the implications.

"Eventually? What do you mean _eventually_? How long do you intend to keep me here?" she asked, her voice climbing an octave with each question, until she practically squeaked like the house elf at the last question.

"As long as it takes", he stated simply.

"That's unacceptable! Why can't you just let me return to my friends? I really do want to help, but I can't put my life on hold for this… You have my word that I'll make it a priority to find a way to reverse the curse", Hermione said, trying hard to keep the pleading out of her voice. She must be able to reason with him from an equal footing – after all, he needed her, right?

"See, you making it a priority to reverse my curse is not good enough for me – I need your undivided attention, therefore you will remain my guest until you come up with the solution", the voice said silkily.

"Guest?" she spat, in full rage now. "You mean prisoner!"

"Call it whatever you like, Gr… girl, but please realize that I could have cursed and hexed you in a hundred different ways by now, given that I still have my wand and it's pointed right at you. You can cooperate willingly… or I can help you cooperate."

Hermione didn't know how to reply. She had already assumed, without him telling her, that she had a wand pointed at her, and she did wonder why she hadn't been attacked yet. It seemed like the man did have some scruples, albeit not many – he had no problem holding her prisoner, but appeared to prefer not to hurt her. Truth be told, Hermione preferred not to be hurt as well, so she finally had to admit defeat and try to make the best of what she had.

"Fine then, I will remain your prisoner while I try to reverse your curse, but I have a couple of conditions", she said boldly.

"You're in no position to make demands."

"Really? I beg to differ. You need me to come up with a way to reverse your curse, so if I refuse to do so I think it's safe to say you'd be in a pinch. Sure, you could curse me or hex me, but then I won't be in any condition to research curse breaking, will I?"

She thought she heard a muffled chuckle, but perhaps it was only her imagination because his voice seemed quite somber when he delivered the next line.

"Let's say, for argument's sake, that I'm willing to listen to these conditions. What are they?"

"First, I'll need my wand back."

"Denied", came the curt reply.

"Please don't interrupt me, it's rude." Hermione said, trying to sound as intimidating as Professor McGonagall when someone disrupted her class.

"So, as I was saying, first I'll need my wand back – and I'll make the Unbreakable vow with you that I won't use it to harm you or to try to escape, I'll just be using it for my research and other day to day activities."

"The second condition is that we put a time limit to our … "collaboration". Like I said before, I'm not willing to put my life on hold – but if it's just for a couple of weeks, then I suppose it's acceptable. To be more precise, the time limit is the 30th of August. I'll need one day to get back home, and get ready for my last year at Hogwarts."

"My third condition is that you let me write letters to my friends and to my family – I won't reveal anything regarding my whereabouts or you or the task you've asked me to complete, but they need to know that I'm ok, and I'll need your Unbreakable vow that I will be OK and that you'll respect all these conditions, regardless of whether I manage to reverse your course or not."

"And last – though this is not exactly a condition but rather a normal requirement for what you're asking me to do, I'll need access to a LOT of books, unless you expect me to just dream up a cure in my sleep one night."

She exhaled slowly, hoping against hope that all of her conditions would be accepted. Hermione trusted her intuition, and it told her that her captor wasn't exactly evil – just desperate, and she could work with that.

After what seemed like hours, the silence was broken by the now familiar voice.

"Agreed."

"To all my conditions? And we'll make the Unbreakable vow? With you going first?" she asked, wanting to make sure there was no room for error.

She thought she heard an exasperated sigh before the answer came.

"Yes."

"Then there's only one thing left to do…", Hermione added warily, nervously licking her lips.

"And what might that be?"

"Come into the light. We can't make the Unbreakable vow unless we're face to face and I think it's high time I met the person I've been talking to."

* * *

Draco watched her quietly from the second floor balustrade, where he hid behind a wide Corinthian column and a big gargoyle.

After his house elf, Mopsy, had taken her wand, Granger had initially asked for it back nicely, but had eventually resorted to threats. He had no idea who these friends she mentioned were, but Draco could bet two of them were Potter and Weaselbee. No matter – he had doubled the protective enchantments on the castle once Granger entered, so there was little chance they'd be able to find it.

To his surprise, Draco realized the dark despair that had affected him for the past month worse than a hundred Dementors had completely vanished. He was having a good time simply by talking to Granger. He enjoyed conversing with her, testing her limits, but he had to try hard not to let anything slip that might make her recognize him. Although in a way he wanted her to know it was him, he couldn't afford her realizing who he was while Draco was still "the Beast" - he had to get her to revert him back first. It helped that she was so famous – that way, it wasn't so suspicious that he knew how smart and capable she was – the entire Wizarding world had been singing her praises for weeks on end after the defeat of Voldemort, once the story got out of how she, Potter and the Weasel had hunted down horcruxes.

She was as bossy as ever, asking him to declare his intentions, stating her conditions – it was undeniable that she was brave, most people would have trembled in fear by now, dreading an attack any second, but not Hermione Granger, Gryffindor princess.

Draco had to be really careful with the way he addressed her – he had almost called her "Granger", a dead giveaway for his identity, though he wondered whether he was the only one to ever call her that… probably so, as the rest of the people either called her by her first name or otherwise added a "Miss" before her family name.

He wasn't very happy with her conditions – especially the one regarding her release at the end of summer regardless of whether he was returned to his human form by then or not. On the other hand, Draco himself wanted to attend his last year at Hogwarts, so it was in his best interest that she find a cure by then – and knowing Granger, having a deadline would probably ensure she found a solution at least a week early. Best case scenario, she'd know the way to fix him as soon as she laid her eyes on him, though that would be too remarkable, even for Granger. Wishful thinking would get him nowhere.

And no amount of wishful thinking could make him envision a way in which her reaction to seeing him would be anything other than aversion. Draco thought it might be an idea to tell her first that she was to expect seeing a chimera – that was what he was, after all, what with him having the head structure and horns of a buffalo, the arms and body of a bear, the eyebrows of a gorilla, the jaws, teeth, and mane of a lion and the legs and tail of a wolf. The only thing from his original appearance that had remained unchanged were his eyes – silvery gray as always. Well, that, and the fact that he was impeccably dressed, although the size of his clothes was now considerably larger.

Telling Granger to expect a chimera or some other form of monster would probably do little to ease the shock of his appearance, so better to just see her genuine reaction. He steeled himself for it, as he jumped down to the ground floor right in front of her.

She let out a small yelp and backed up half a step, but that was understandable, he supposed. He watched her closely, and, to his surprise, there was no aversion there, simply a startled look, followed by interest – fascination even.

"Uhm, I'm guessing this is not your usual look, Mr…?"

She was obviously fishing for his identity, but Draco couldn't reveal who he was.

"You can call me Beast", he said, considering the name fitting for his gruesome appearance.

"It's quite all right if you don't want to give me your name, but I think it would be rude of me to address you thus."

Always the goody two shoes, if only she knew he was the one who had repeatedly called her a Mudblood… Draco regretted it now, and would never again address her in such a vulgar manner.

"It's not rude if I'm the one asking you to do so", he parried.

"Well I think it's rude anyway, but seeing as you're giving me no alternative, I guess it'll have to do. Be forewarned though, using an alias will not exempt you from death should you break the Unbreakable vow".

Bossy know-it-all.

"I was aware of that fact, but consider me warned", Draco said, amusement creeping back into his voice.

"Very well, uhm, Beast, then tell me this: is there anyone else in this castle beside us, except for your house elf? I am asking because someone with a wand must be our Bonder".

Straight to business, so typical of Granger.

"But my house elf does have a wand - she has yours. Mopsy!" he called, and his deep voice echoed off the high walls of the castle.

A faint pop was heard and Mopsy appeared next to him.

"Master has called for Mopsy?" the elf squeaked in her high pitched voice.

"Yes, indeed. Do you have the wand you have taken from our guest with you?"

"Of course, Master, here it is". The elf took out Granger's wand.

"You will use it in order to bond _Miss_ Granger and me while we make the Unbreakable vow", he said with an incredible effort to add the title before the name - breaking habit wasn't easy. The elf squeaked her agreement, but Draco paid her no attention – instead, he couldn't help but turn to Granger to add, peevishly: "I'm sorry, is it still Miss Granger, or is it Mrs. Weasley by now? I'm afraid I haven't been keeping up to date with the latest gossip in Witch Weekly."

He saw her scowl as she answered.

"I'm still Miss Granger. Now let us begin." She stretched out her right arm. Draco reached out with his and watched, with bitter regret, how his enormous paw completely engulfed her small hand.

He didn't want to admit this to himself, but he had wanted to touch her for quite some time now, and the fact that the first time had to be while he was in this repulsive form was the height of irony. Actually, he remembered, this was the second time they touched – the first time had been when she had punched him in the face, so not exactly better.

"Will you, Beast, return my wand to me so that I can use it for everything other than harming you or escaping?"

"I will".

A thin stream of fire came out of Granger's wand, that Mopsy held firmly in her hand, and it weaved itself around the connected hand and paw.

"Will you do me no harm even if I fail in breaking your curse?"

"I will do you no harm."

"And will you allow me to write to my family so that I can let them know I'm OK?"

"I will."

"Will you let me go free no later than the 30th of August of the present year, regardless of whether I can break the curse or not?"

"I will."

The streams of fire burned bright for a moment, then they disappeared, and Draco felt the vow had been completed.

"My turn", he said. "Will you, Miss Granger, refrain from using your wand to harm me in any way or to try to escape?"

"I will."

Once again, a thread of fire connected them.

"And will you refrain from revealing any information about the castle, me, or my curse in your communication with your friends and family?"

"I will."

"Will you, to the best of your abilities, try to find a way to break the curse and revert me to my human form before the 30th of August?"

"I will."

The second vow was done.

"Thank you, Mopsy, now please give Miss Granger her wand back."

"Here you go, Miss", the elf said.

"Leave us".

Mopsy disappeared with a pop.

"So it is done. I don't think it necessary for me to mention that time is of the essence, so I will now show you to your room, then show you the library, where you will find all the books you could possibly need, and then you can start your research."

Draco was relieved that she hadn't commented at all about his monstrous appearance and also that they had made the Unbreakable vows. Now, worst case scenario, even if she couldn't find a way to break his curse, at least he'd have her all to himself for almost three months. That thought made his heart light.

"Lead the way, then", she said and Draco turned around so that she couldn't see his trademark smirk – not that she would be able to recognize it on his "new face". It was quite comforting to see that some things, unlike his form, never changed. Granger was as bossy as ever, but his feelings about this trait of hers had definitely changed – while before he found it extremely annoying, now he thought it was rather endearing, amusing, cute even.

He walked up the stairs to the second floor, where the sleeping quarters were, and every now and then he looked back at her. She looked rather subdued, although her natural curiosity did make her look left and right as they advanced through the castle.

"The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like except, well, outside the entrance gates". He knew she wouldn't try to escape after making the Unbreakable vow, but still felt compelled to say it.

"Does that mean that I can also go out into the gardens?"

Draco had known she would like the roses, even with the thorns engulfing them. He'd have to do something about those thorns, he didn't want her to get caught in them.

"Of course, just be careful with the thorns – I'll get rid of them the first chance I get."

He chose to place her in the bedroom next to his, but they didn't linger – after showing it to her, Draco led the way to the library. Although he half expected it, her reaction to the two story high library, filled to the brim with books, was something that thrilled him almost as much as she seemed to be.

"I've never seen so many books in all my life – and that's saying something, given that I'm quite familiarized with the library at Hogwarts!"

The delight was clear in her voice, and Draco felt something flutter in his stomach – he was quite pleased with himself for giving her this simple joy. Trust Granger to be happy over dusty old tomes (well, not really dusty, as Mopsy did a wonderful job with the cleaning), instead of dreaming of flowers, chocolate and jewels like most girls if Pansy Parkinson was an example. Perhaps that's what he liked about Granger – she was different.

"You like it?" he asked, although the answer was written all over her excited face.

"It's wonderful!"

"Then it's yours. You may use it as you see fit, and I can only hope you'll find something to break the curse sooner rather than later".

"I imagine you're somewhat tired", he added, trying to be considerate and not let the impatience of returning to his human form get the better of him. "Let me take you back to your room where you'll be able to freshen up – there are a couple of articles of clothing in the dressing room but I will send Mopsy to fetch some new things for you".

Draco figured that his mother didn't need the clothes she left behind in the castle. The room Granger was in was usually Narcissa's, while Draco occupied the room that used to be his father's.

What with Lucius in jail for ten years, Draco was sure he wouldn't have a need for the room, and Narcissa had been so affected by the war and the imprisonment of her husband that she had no immediate plans of vacationing in France.

As Granger opened the door to what was now her room, she turned to him, looking bravely straight into his eyes, without flinching even once, which he was grateful for.

"So…I'll just take a shower and then head straight to the library to see what I can find about this curse and what might reverse it."

"Before that, you will join me for dinner." Draco said, but then noticed she had started frowning again and was about to speak – probably to refuse, but he wasn't having it.

"That's not a request", he added, and left before she could say anything more.

* * *

Hermione fell on the soft four poster bed and sighed from the bottom of her heart. How had she ended up in such a dreadful situation?

Prisoner of a man turned beast who wanted her to break a curse she knew nothing about – and she might succeed in doing so quickly, but most likely she would spend more than two months with no one but him and Mopsy the house elf for company, while her family and friends would probably worry about her, despite what she hoped would be very reassuring letters from her.

When she had first seen the Beast, she had been quite shocked, but there was something about his eyes that seemed almost familiar – plus sometimes the way he talked made her almost figure out something… and then the thought would slip away and she would be no closer to figuring out the identity of her captor than when she'd first heard him speak. She wondered absently whether there was a Pensieve in the castle, that way maybe she'd be able to make some sense of the surreal situation.

Whether she actually knew him or not didn't really matter. What mattered was that he had made the Unbreakable vow not to harm her if she failed to revert him to his human form, that he had agreed to let her go free no later than the 30th of August, and also that she was allowed to write to her family and friends to let them know she was OK.

And just as she thought about how she could phrase her letters, Mopsy entered her room, a beautiful Eurasian Tawny Owl on her shoulder.

"Master instructed Mopsy to tell Miss that Mopsy is to do her every bidding, so Miss can call on Mopsy whenever she needs something."

"Thanks you, Mopsy", Hermione said. And then she noticed what the elf was wearing.

"Mopsy, is that a dress you're wearing?" It was definitely not the dirty rag most house elves wore as a symbol of their enslavement.

"It is, yes, Miss. Master gave it to Mopsy."

" _He_ gave you that dress?" Hermione asked, not quite believing her own ears.

"Yes, Miss."

"But then doesn't that mean you're free?"

"Mopsy is free, Miss, but Mopsy doesn't want to leave Master. She is being paid for her work now, Miss, but Mopsy will never leave Master."

Interesting – a wizard who didn't look down on house elves. That said a lot about the "Beast", and Hermione smiled for the first time since she had arrived in that God forsaken castle.

"I understand, Mopsy. Is that owl to deliver my letters?"

"Yes, Miss, and you can find parchment, quills and ink, in the upmost drawer of the vanity", Mopsy squeaked and pointed to a beautiful white vanity in the corner of the room, next to the door to the balcony.

"Thank you. You may go."

The owl flied over to perch on the wardrobe near the bed, and Mopsy exited the room quietly.

Hermione figured there was no point in wasting any more time thinking. It was time to act – she started with a shower (but decided that later she'd have to take a bath too - the tub was huge!), then changed into the simplest dress she could find in the wardrobe (and that was quite difficult, as all the dresses seemed to be fit only for a wedding party or the opera) – an emerald green sleeveless frock that reached just below her knees, with a silver rose pattern. How very… Slytherin. The Gryffindor in her revolted at so much green – not that she didn't like the color, in fact she loved it – but there was an abundance of it in the room, everything from the walls (pale green) to the sheets (deep dark green, almost black) on the bed. She was surprised the furniture, at least, was white.

Hermione took a seat at the vanity, extracted two rolls of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink from the drawer and started writing her letters. She didn't want to worry her parents, so she simply told them that she will be extending her stay in France, but that she would return no later than the day before the school year started.

Hermione also wrote a letter addressed to both Harry and Ron – they were surely together, so the owl would not be confused as to where to deliver it. In this letter she was a bit more explicit, but not entirely truthful. She told them that the castle held a powerful enchantment that could only be undone from within and that while she was certain she'd be able to break free, it might take her a long while. She assured them that she had everything she needed (as in food, drink, a bed to sleep in, and books to research for a way out) and that they were not to worry and to carry on with their vacation in France without her – oh, and of course, that they were not to mention any of this to her parents, so that they wouldn't worry.

Hermione hoped that would be good enough. She told the owl whom she needed to send the letters to, mentioning that it should deliver the one to Harry and Ron first, as they were probably just outside the castle gates. The flight to the UK would take longer.

No sooner had the owl left, that Mopsy reentered her room.

"Mopsy came to ask whether Miss found something appropriate to wear for dinner. Mopsy suggests the black dress with the spaghetti straps, Miss will look ravishing in that one", squeaked the elf.

Hermione sighed as she could feel more trouble coming her way.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm not going to dinner."

"Miss, but you must, Master said so!" said Mopsy in an anguished tone.

"Well, _Master_ also said I must find a way to break the curse, so as soon as I rest a bit on this comfortable bed, I'll be off to the library to start my research – you can go tell that to your master."

The elf was gone, and Hermione decided it was time to lock the door so as to manage to get a bit of rest before starting her research. For a brief moment she wondered whether it was worth locking the door, given that perhaps one could apparate directly inside the room, but she dismissed the idea - a noble wizarding family like the one who owned the castle surely wouldn't allow such easy access to their bedchambers, as they would be most particular about their privacy, so surely there were wards against apparition. She used the Locking spell on the door ("Colloportus!") but she had only just closed her eyes after lying down on the bed, when someone tried to enter the room, and after seeing it was locked, there was a thunderous knock on it.

"I thought I told you to come down to dinner!"

The Beast sounded quite angry, though apparently he was enough of a gentleman not to use Alohomora to unlock her door – or maybe he didn't know that spell? Well, either way, she was sure he still had some self-control because had he wanted to, he probably could have knocked down the door, Locking spell and all. Hermione wondered why it hadn't crossed her mind to also cast a Silencing charm, so that she wouldn't hear anyone who meant to disturb her, but then again, she only knew Silencio to work on beings, not objects like doors.

"I'm not hungry." She said, although her stomach did protest weakly to that bold statement.

"You'll come out or I'll... I'll...I'll break down the door!"

So much for self-control and being a gentleman, Hermione thought. And since he talked about breaking down the door, it seemed a lot more possible that he didn't, in fact, know the Alohomora spell. Or maybe he was too angry to think clear? Who could tell? Hermione couldn't figure her captor out.

"Will you come down to dinner?"

"No!"

How many ways could she say the same thing before he understood? It was one thing to reluctantly accept to give up her life for several months, and quite another to have dinner with her captor. He didn't see it that way, apparently, as he made one more attempt at gallantry.

"It would give me great pleasure... if you would join me for dinner… Please."

"No, thank you."

Hermione just about had it. Was it too much to ask to have ten minutes of uninterrupted rest before she started her work?

"You can't stay in there forever!", the Beast said, and it was more of a growl now.

"I don't intend to - I intend to rest a bit and then go to the library to research ways to undo your curse."

That seemed to give him pause, but only for a moment, after which his anger seemed to come back with a vengeance.

"Fine! Then go ahead and starve!"

She heard him yell to Mopsy (probably, as there really didn't seem to be anyone else in the castle): "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all!"

Was he so starved for company? Well, looking like he did, perhaps he was, but Hermione wasn't feeling particularly sympathetic at that moment.

In any case, she figured she really did need to eat something, and it wasn't worth antagonizing him just because she didn't approve of him capturing her and patronizing her.

"Wait!" she called, then got up and opened the door.

He seemed to be fuming.

"I don't appreciate being ordered about, now that we came to an agreement. If you'd asked nicely from the start, I would have accepted the dinner invitation."

"And like I said before, I don't really do _nicely_ ", the Beast replied.

"It's never too late to change", Hermione said wisely and then she mused on how old the Beast might be. It was really hard to tell by his appearance, but his eyes looked to burn with the fire of youth, and his temper definitely seem typical of someone who was either relatively young, or quite immature – probably both.

"Well, we can talk about it over dinner", he told her and then surprised her by offering his arm.

Not feeling very friendly towards the … man… who imprisoned her, Hermione wondered whether she should take it, but it was surely meant as a sign of peace, and she really wanted to make these months as pleasant as possible - constant fighting would only drain her energy, energy that she could put to much better use by researching a way to revert him to human form and then be rid of him forever.

So she took his arm and together they descended toward the dining room.


	4. The dinner and the revelation

**A/N** : Well, big revelations at the end of this chapter, as I'm sure you knew must happen sooner or later – and I'm afraid that this chapter ends in something of a cliffhanger, but I seem to be updating much faster than I expected so it won't be long before I post the next chapter (I'm already working on it).

I have to admit that besides loving the Harry Potter story, I'm also a fan of Twilight and various other (more or less) famous love stories – so every now and then I might take a couple of well written lines from those stories as well, just so you know.

I want to thank the guest who reviewed my story. I don't know who he/she is, but clearly he/she knows a lot about the Beauty and the Beast story, as well as the Harry Potter universe. I'm afraid I can't answer questions or confirm/deny any theory (it would spoil the surprise), but let me just say I know the original Beauty and the Beast story was written by a French author, also that I noticed both Malfoy and Rosier seem to be French names – and last, but not least, there was a reason I placed the castle in France. Stay tuned and all questions will eventually be answered ^_^

I realize I never actually described Draco's fur color, but it's definitely not blond – that would have been too obvious. His fur is the same color as the original Disney Beast's, it has various shades of brown (if anyone can describe it better, be my guest – pun intended :D)

As for Ron – we will eventually find out whether he finds love or not, but here's a pretty telling hint: I love a happy ending ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 3 The dinner and the late night revelation**

 _Half an hour ago…_

"What's taking so long? I told her to come to dinner. Why isn't she here yet?" Draco snapped as Mopsy entered the dining room, where he had been pacing restlessly ever since he left her standing in that door-frame.

"Master must try to be patient. Miss has lost her freedom today", Mopsy squeaked.

Draco figured the elf had a point: the image of a caged lioness wasn't exactly to his liking, but as long as he was the one doing the caging… well, he _was_ Slytherin after all, and feeling quite "beastly" at the moment.

"Does Master think Miss can break the curse?"

"Of course I think so!" Draco snapped impatiently, still pacing.

"And once Master is back to his handsome self, will Master and Miss live together happily ever after?" squeaked the elf.

That took him by surprise. Was it so obvious? Draco had refused to acknowledge that he did, in fact, know perfectly well what that "something" was that he felt for Hermione Granger. He had started falling for her, probably from the first year at Hogwarts, and his feelings had only increased each year, so that now he was completely in love with her.

But he was sure no one could have figured that out. While at school, he had tormented her mercilessly, and while some might believe clichés like "boys tease the girls they secretly like", he was sure calling someone a Mudblood did not fall under the category of "teasing". He had had to act like that because it was what was expected of the Malfoy heir, but he had despised those expectations, and he had grown more and more disenchanted with his family's values and way of thinking.

Sure, having been brought up a certain way, it was hard to change later on – which is why he still was something of a prat, Draco knew it all too well. Take his third year, for instance. Although Hagrid was rubbish as a professor, Draco had nothing against hippogriffs, he admired them in fact – and he should have known better than provoke that Buttbeak creature or whatever its name was… Still, _saint Potter_ had been _so_ valiant in dealing with the hippogriff, and Granger was so obviously full of admiration for him, that Draco had felt the need to impress as well (though in retrospect, offending a hippogriff and getting himself injured was probably not the best way to go about it).

Indeed, now that he thought about it, perhaps he wouldn't have disliked Potter and the Weasel quite so much if it weren't for the fact that they spent so much time with Granger, which made him extremely jealous. To have such an accomplished witch by their side and not appreciate her at her full value! They were just using her to get their homework done, the ungrateful gits!

During the Quidditch World Cup, he had been afraid of what his father and the other Death Eaters might to do Granger if they saw her, so she had prompted the incredibly dense Weaselbee and Potter to make sure they kept her out of harm's way.

And then there was the Yule Ball… Draco had felt as if lightning had struck him when he saw her in her floaty, periwinkle blue dress, her smile more beautiful than ever (she had done something to her teeth which was a clear improvement), her hair sleeked to perfection and shining in the candle light (though secretly he didn't dislike her usual bushy hair). He thought he'd never seen anyone more beautiful in his entire life – and that included the Beauxbatons champion.

By far the worst memory he had of her was when his mad aunt Bella was torturing her with the Cruciatus curse. He had wanted so bad to interfere, to hex or even kill his aunt, but he knew he couldn't – it wasn't just his life he would be throwing away, but his parents' lives too. Plus, he had reluctantly admitted to himself, he trusted Potter and the Weasel to come to her rescue – and they didn't disappoint.

He had wanted to kill Crabbe with his bare hands when the idiot had cast Avada Kedavra at Granger back in the Room of Hidden Things, but again, the golden trio had managed not just to avoid getting killed, but to save Draco and Goyle too. When Crabbe did in fact die, Draco realized he hadn't actually wanted it to happen, but it was, in a way, poetic justice, so he left it at that.

In any case, then the war was over and Draco had been granted a second chance, mostly due to none other than Granger, as she testified in his favor at his trial. So he had been free, Voldemort dead and most of the Death Eaters taken care of, and Draco could almost dream about what opportunities the last year at Hogwarts would provide: he'd definitely have shared classes with Granger (Potions for sure, perhaps some other classes too, if he was lucky), he'd see her in the Great Hall…

But then something had to happen to crush his dreams and hopes: the blasted curse! And what good did it do to have Granger stuck with him for a couple of months, if she didn't know it was him? Besides, it was a blessing that she hadn't figured out who he was, imagine if she realized that the person she had helped obtain freedom at the trial, was the one who had taken her freedom. Poor way to repay a favor.

However, at the present moment he couldn't stop being angry with her for her refusal to have dinner with him. So why had the elf seen past this anger and why had she figured out his feelings for Granger when no one else had? Perhaps because it was a _female_ house elf, and females were known to be more sensitive to these things – or so he had heard.

"Oh, it's not that easy, Mopsy", he said in reply to the elf's question. Happily ever after was an unrealistic concept at best. He came from a world of arranged marriages, based on blood purity, nobility, wealth – love had no place there.

"These things take time… Besides, it's no use, she's so beautiful and I'm… well, look at me!" he snapped, overcome, once more, with rage at his beastly form.

"Master is handsome no matter his form", Mopsy said loyally. "Master must help Miss see past all that".

"I don't know how", Draco admitted, not quite believing he was having this conversation with his house elf.

"Master can start by making himself more presentable. Try to act like a gentleman and when Miss comes in, to give her a dashing, debonair smile", the elf advised.

Draco used his irresistible smile, which had captured the hearts of many girls at Hogwarts, not just from Slytherin, but Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw too, and, although they'd probably never admit it, from Gryffindor as well.

However, Mopsy yelped shrilly – which was definitely not the reaction he was going for.

"Master must not frighten the poor Miss. Impress Miss with your rapier wit. But Master must be gentle. Shower Miss with compliments. But Master _must_ be sincere! And above all, Master must control his temper!" the elf concluded, and Draco thought that was the most contradictory and complicated advice he had ever received – not to mention, the longest he had ever heard his elf speak. Clearly she had a thing for romance. He briefly wondered about the romantic life of house elves, but then figured he didn't really want to know.

"All right, never mind that. Where is she?"

Mopsy suddenly seemed to want to punish herself, though Draco had forbidden her to do such things.

"Well, actually, Master, Miss is in the process of... Circumstances being what they are... Uh, Miss is not coming."

Draco thought he hadn't heard right, but then it hit him and he lost whatever calm he had left.

"What?!"

"Oh, dear", the elf squeaked, "Master must not be hasty".

But Draco had already burst through the dining room door, had jumped up the stairs and was banging on Granger's door, as trying to get in had yielded no results. Give the witch a wand and the first thing she does is lock the door in _his_ castle. The nerve! Pity the bedchambers were warded against apparating, or he would have been in her face in a second!

"I thought I told you to come down to dinner!" he roared.

"I'm not hungry."

"You'll come out or I'll... I'll...I'll break down the door!", he said, and he realized that in his beast form he could actually do that through sheer force, though a Reducto would also do the trick. Alohomora would surely work as well, but then he wouldn't have the satisfaction to blast the door to smithereens – and a shattered door would be easily fixed with Reparo.

"Master", Mopsy piped up, "I could be wrong, but that may not be... the best way to win Miss' affections. Master must please attempt to be a gentleman."

"But she is being _so_ difficult", Draco muttered.

"Gently, gently", the elf pleaded.

His patience to the limit, Draco sighed deeply and then tried again, trying to make his voice sound calmer.

"Will you come down to dinner?"

"No!"

He was on the verge of roaring the bloody door down, but Mopsy tugged on his coattail.

"Master, suave, genteel", she urged.

Draco tried again, thinking to himself it was unbelievable how low love could bring even a proud, pure blooded Slytherin such as himself.

"It would give me great pleasure... if you would join me for dinner…"

"Master should say 'please'", Mopsy whispered.

"Please.", he added ruefully. He had good manners, but apparently when his temper rose, it was better to trust his elf about etiquette.

"No, thank you", came the polite but decisive reply.

"You can't stay in there forever", Draco growled, wondering whether reason would get through to her.

"I don't intend to, I intend to rest a bit and then go to the library to research ways to undo your curse".

That did it, Draco felt his blood rise straight to his head, and only had a moment to wonder whether in his beast form he was more irritable and prone to bouts of temper, before he shouted at her at the top of his voice: "Fine! Then go ahead and starve!"

All thoughts of gallantry forgotten, he yelled at Mopsy (although it wasn't her fault Granger was being stubborn): "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all!"

He wanted to run back to his north tower and do something practical for a change (as opposed to futilely arguing with Granger), like continuing his own research into breaking the curse, when he heard her shout "Wait". He stopped and turned back towards the door.

Whether due to fear of starvation or coming to her senses, she had finally come out of the room, dressed in one of his mother's simpler but nonetheless elegant dresses (looking amazing in it too), and before long she had taken the arm he offered (Draco had been quite afraid she would once again refuse the gesture and then another fight would ensue) and together they went to the dining room.

* * *

 _Back to the present_

Hermione was glad she had accepted the dinner invitation after all, as she discovered she was now quite hungry…not that it lasted long - her hunger was all but forgotten once she entered the dining room. It was enormous, but for all the space, it was sparingly, though impressively decorated. A huge fireplace cast a merry light over a long dining table that only had two chairs, one on each end, and which was covered in all sort of delicious looking foods – some of which she recognized from her fourth year at Hogwarts, they were French dishes.

The fireplace wasn't the only source of light in the room though – above the table hung three exquisitely ornate chandeliers, dozens of candles burning brightly. To her relief, Hermione noticed that this particular room had no green in it, instead it had warm tones of wood brown and cream.

The Beast held her chair for her and she sat down, with a brief "thank you". Not only did she usually feel like good manners were a must in every circumstance, but such a sumptuous room sort of inspired best behavior.

Once the Beast had taken his seat, Hermione asked the question that had been at the front of her mind ever since she saw him.

"So who cursed you, and what curse was used, do you know?"

She figured he wouldn't tell her who had cursed him even if he did know, but it was in his own interest to give her as much information about the curse.

"I fail to see how the one who cast the curse is of any relevance", came the biting answer soon enough.

"Well, I just thought that perhaps an easier way to break the curse was to simply get the one who cast it to tell you how to undo the transformation", Hermione reasoned.

"That, and you were curious", the Beast said and she had to try very hard not to give him a retort. "But the one who cast the spell isn't easily found, I've had people looking for him for the past month, and they couldn't find one trace of him – he's deep in hiding".

Okay, so that meant that the Beast had only been cursed for a month, that was a useful piece of information, Hermione mused. And the fact that the one who cursed him was in hiding could very well mean it was one of the few Death Eaters that managed to evade the Aurors. On the other hand, anyone who placed such an awful curse could only be a dark witch or wizard, Death Eater or not.

"Fine, in that case, please tell me all you know about this curse".

"It happened about a month ago, but it was very sudden, so I can't give you a lot of details. I think the incantation was something along the lines of 'Bestia verto' – I couldn't tell much after that because everything that could hurt in my body started to hurt, _bad_. Luckily I wasn't alone at the time, so that I was apparated to safety – and later on, I was told that the pain must have been from the changes in my body."

"Quite similar to how a werewolf changes then…", Hermione mused, remembering Professor Lupin's transformation. Only in the Beast's case it wasn't a once per month transformation, forced on by the full moon or some other external element, it was a permanent condition. Interesting.

"And that incantation, it sounds a lot like a transfiguration spell", she said aloud.

"I'm afraid It's nothing as simple as that", the Beast said. "It's some form of transmutation curse, and nothing the healers and curse breakers tried had any effect."

He then proceeded to enumerate everything that the experts had tried, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I won't be able to remember all that just by hearing it once – so after dinner I will need you to write everything down and come find me in the library. I will look over the list and will try anything I think might work that hasn't been tried before", Hermione said.

"But now, if you don't mind, I'm quite hungry so… shall we eat?"

"Of course. Bon appétit!" Hermione noted his French was very good, his accent perfect.

"Bon appétit", she replied and then they were too busy eating to talk.

* * *

The dinner had been very pleasant for Draco – and he expected no less, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to all that trouble to get her to join him.

He enjoyed her company, and he couldn't help but admire how focused she was on a task, once she set her mind to it. Draco was also glad that she had clearly admired the beauty of the dining room – perhaps not as much as she adored the library, but it made him happy that she liked Chateau Malfoy. Perhaps, in the not too distant future, it would be Granger and him vacationing there…?

Once again, Draco had to remind himself that wishful thinking got him nowhere. Like everyone else at Hogwarts, he had heard about Potter's heroic feats in their first year, when he had kept Voldemort from obtaining the Philosopher's stone – he didn't know all the details, but he did learn that a mirror that showed a person's most burning desire was involved. Ever since then, his thoughts had returned periodically to that enchanted mirror, wondering what it would show him.

Back during his first year or two in school, he would have probably seen his father praising him to the heavens. But later on…? He wasn't really sure. After his father's failure to obtain the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Draco was sure the mirror would have shown him a way to get himself and his family out of Voldemort's grasp, so that they would be free of the fear of being killed – or of killing, because Draco had never wanted to kill anyone, not even Dumbledore.

His father had a very bad opinion about Hogwarts' former headmaster, and initially Draco had mirrored that intense dislike, but later on he had started to admire the wise and powerful old wizard, the only thing that still irked him being Dumbledore's obvious partiality towards Potter. But Draco would never forget that Dumbledore had offered him and his family protection, he had offered him a way out when he needed it the most, and if it hadn't been for the Death Eaters' interference up in the Astronomy Tower, his life might have taken a much better turn.

In any case, thinking about that mirror, Draco wondered what he would see in it now. The first logical thought was that he'd see a way to revert himself to human form, but he realized he had a more burning desire. Most likely he would see Granger and him (in human form though), and tiny children around them – some with bushy brown hair, others with sleek blonde one…

It was pointless to think of such things under the present circumstances, so Draco went into the study on the first floor, wrote down the list Granger has asked for and then went to find her.

He opened the doors of the library, and found her sitting on the plush armchair next to the fireplace, legs tucked to her side, a huge book on her lap that Granger seemed to have already read a hundred pages from. He chuckled under his breath at the fact that only she could have adopted such a… casual position while wearing an elegant dress.

She seemed to be completely engrossed in the book and taking advantage of her being blissfully unaware of his presence, he continued studying her. Her bushy hair that was usually brown in color had a very pleasant honey hue, due to the light coming from the fire nearby. Her brown eyes had golden flecks dancing in them, and Draco thought she should always stay close to a fireplace – she made a very fetching picture.

The green dress hugged her slim frame snugly, and his eyes roamed all over her – and Draco thought he never regretted being cursed as much as he did right then. Had he been his normal, dashing self, he probably would have walked right up to her, pushed the tome out of her lap, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her flush against him so he could feel all her delicious curves, and then he would have kissed her like he was sure neither Weaselbee, nor Krum had ever done.

But his fantasy ended quite abruptly as he wondered whether those were the only two people Granger had ever shared kisses with. There was that article published by the Skeeter woman in his fourth year, that implied Potter might have been romantically involved with her too, but he didn't really believe that – had it been true, there was no way Potter and the Weasel would have remained friends. So not Potter, no.

What of that large, wire-haired Gryffindor that had taken Granger to Slughorn's party during their sixth year? McLaren or something, Draco couldn't bother to remember. What he did remember though was that when Filch had found him "lurking" on a corridor and dragged him to the party, Granger had looked somewhat disheveled, and he dreaded thinking what might have caused it.

So McLeod (or was it McLewd, Draco thought waspishly) might have kissed Granger too… he was completely disgruntled about that thought, and he really wanted to tell Granger that in exchange for his list, she should also make a list of everyone she'd ever kissed with. Yes, that would go really well with her, Draco thought darkly – good thing she had already made the Unbreakable vow not to harm him, as he knew how much damage she could do with her wand…and with her fist (first-hand experience, that one).

He was brought back to the present by her voice.

"Did you write the list?"

Draco silently admonished himself for being so lost in thought he hadn't seen her look up to see him staring at her. Great… she'd probably think he wanted to eat her as a late night snack.

"I did", he said as he advanced toward the armchair she was sitting in and handed her the parchment.

He watched her eyes go rapidly over everything he'd written.

"Ok, some of these spells had crossed my mind as well, it's good I now know they won't work – it'll save time. However, before I try any complex magic and bury myself into exhaustive research on how to break your curse, I'd like to try the simplest possible ways to get you out of your predicament."

Somehow Draco didn't think anything described as "simple" could ever return him to human form, but who was he do disagree? It wasn't like he had constantly been second in their year when it came to grades, he thought ironically. Her suggestion didn't surprise him though, it was quite natural for a Gryffindor to try and get to the heart of a problem through the most direct method.

"Well, experienced healers and curse breakers tried all sorts of spells, simple and complex, but if you think they're overlooked something obvious that might actually work, by all means, go ahead!" he couldn't quite keep that snide comment at bay.

"None of these experts thought to use the Severing charm, right? It isn't on the list."

Of course she wouldn't back down, Draco thought to himself, amused.

"Actually, no, now that you mention it", he admitted, trying to figure exactly what she thought she would sever and how would severing anything at all would turn him back into human form.

"This charm is a simple matter of wand control and it can be quite precise if the caster has sufficient skill, so I say we give it a try", she continued.

"Wait, wouldn't the severing charm simply remove…"

But he got no further than that, as she had suddenly sat up from the armchair and before he figured out what was happening, Granger had already chanted not one, but two Diffindos. The first one served to cut his very expensive shirt in two (definitely not the way he would have imagined Granger taking off his clothes, and clearly not for the purpose of curse breaking – and he _had_ imagined him and Granger in situations that involved removing clothes – it was his favorite fantasy, in fact).

With the second charm she moved her wand carefully, tracing his chest and arms, her lower lip caught between her teeth in concentration. Draco was momentarily mesmerized by the look of that lower lip, wishing he would be the one to bite it – well, not with the fangs he presently had, but definitely once he was human again….

With great effort he tore his eyes away from her mouth and brought them down to his chest… and was horrified to see her severing charm had the effect of a simple shaving, nothing more. He was speechless for a second, and then livid with rage at his further disfigurement – his chest and arms looked like those of a skinned animal.

He tried to rein it in, but couldn't help snapping at her for this "failed" attempt – he just knew it was her intention to fail, done on purpose to pay him back for imprisoning her, as there was no way someone as smart as she was actually thought something so absurd would work.

"Oh, _very_ well done, Granger, it's good to know this is the best the brightest which of our age can come up with", he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What did you call me?" she asked quietly.

Draco could have kicked himself – he had finally slipped up and called her "Granger" -, but he quickly recomposed his features, so that he seemed completely unconcerned with her question.

"I was under the impression that I called you by your name. I thought you said you didn't become Mrs. Weasley…?"

"And I didn't. But you called me 'Granger'".

"Yes – like I pointed out just a moment ago, that is your name, is it not?"

He had to try and stay calm; perhaps there was still a way to stop her from figuring out the truth…

"But you didn't call me _Miss_ Granger, like you addressed me up until now. You said _Granger_ , and there's only one person I know who ever called me that…"

So, Draco thought, he really was the only one to call her that, damnation! Well, the toad was out of the cauldron. He watched realization come over her.

"The way you addressed me, and the way you talk, so full of yourself … those gray eyes… not to mention that this castle obviously belongs to a pureblood Slytherin family, most likely one with a French name… and wasn't Sanctimonia Vincet Semper the motto of… yes, I remember reading it somewhere…!"

He waited for it….

"I know who you are", she concluded.

"Say it. Out loud", Draco dared her.

" _Malfoy!_ "she practically spat.


	5. Stories and apologies

**A/N:** I want to thank everyone who reviewed, follows this story and/or added it to favorites, it's great to know people enjoy it ^_^

Something I forgot to mention in earlier chapters, but which I'm sure most of you already figured out: my story is compliant with the book version of the Harry Potter stories, not the movies, as there are certain differences - Hermione's Yule Ball dress is one less important example, but the lack of a "Mudblood" scar on Hermione's hand is quite important, I never liked this idea from the movie.

I'm sorry it took a bit longer than usual to post this chapter – I promise I didn't do it on purpose, but alas, real life must be taken care of too – what was it Dumbledore said? It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, right? ;) I'm afraid my weekend is quite busy, so I'm not sure when the next update will be, but by now I'm sure you know I'll do my best to post sooner rather than later.

Enjoy the read!

* * *

 **Chapter 4 Stories and apologies**

Draco Malfoy! The shock made Hermione's legs give way, and she let herself fall down until she sat directly on the beautiful Savonnerie carpet that covered the floor.

"Figured it out at last, did you? Took you long enough", Malfoy was saying.

"You think that was long? I only wandered into your bloody castle today, I'd say I did pretty good", she replied, feeling her temper rise. "Perhaps you give me too much credit – it _would_ be a nice change from all those years you explicitly told me I was the lowest of lowest, what with my dirty blood".

Malfoy clearly brought the worst in her, and in his beast form he was even worse than his usual snarky self.

"Oh, it's not _me_ that gives you credit, Granger, get off your high hippogriff! It's the rest of the world that set those high expectations, or haven't you read the papers lately?"

"Still blaming everything on anyone other than yourself, I see", Hermione said stiffly, getting up from the floor and sitting back down on the armchair, while picking up the book from where it had fallen down.

"Good to know you haven't changed, Malfoy", she continued.

She was still shocked to find out the identity of the Beast, but Hermione discovered she was also… disappointed – since they were talking about expectations, she had to admit she had expected more from Malfoy.

Hermione had testified in his favor because she had felt a change in him during the last few years. Although he was consistently unpleasant to her, Ron and Harry and basically everyone else (especially Gryffindors), during the previous year it was clear he had had a change of heart. He hadn't killed Dumbledore although he could have, Harry had said as much, that Malfoy was lowering his wand… Then when they were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, he hadn't identified any of them, everything he said was intentionally vague, and it had bought them time, otherwise Lucius Malfoy would have probably called Voldemort and they'd all be dead now.

Hermione hadn't been exactly lucid while Bellatrix Lestrange tortured her with the Cruciatus curse, the pain was too intense, but she did remember locking eyes with Malfoy at one point, and she had seen how white his face was and how much fear was written on it… She was sure he had wanted to stop his aunt, but didn't know how.

She empathized with him, as unbelievable as it was. Most people probably thought that coming from an ancient, wealthy, pureblood family, and blessed with both good looks and brains (he _was_ attractive, and quite smart, Hermione saw no point in denying that), that he lived a perfect, care free life and many envied him. Not Hermione.

She could tell that for Malfoy winning his father's approval meant a lot, and yet it was clear that nothing his son did was ever good enough for Lucius Malfoy. If she were being honest with herself, Hermione blamed Lucius Malfoy for his son's offensive attitude and actions toward her – it was clear that it was the father's belief that muggle born witches and wizards had dirty blood, and Draco, being raised with such beliefs, had merely gone with the flow. Also, she was sure he wouldn't have been quite so horrible to her if his father hadn't been very tough on him about being second to a muggle born when it came to grades.

And it wasn't just his father that put pressure on Malfoy – it was his entourage too. Many of them had Death Eaters for parents, so they expected Malfoy to act a certain way, to be cruel and nasty to her and to the rest of the Gryffindors.

Hermione didn't just read Hogwarts A History – she was also very familiar with muggle history, and she particularly loved to read about life at the court of kings and queens of England, France, etc. As a consequence, she knew that contrary to popular belief, nobles and royalty weren't free to live their lives as they saw fit, but rather they were bound by all sort of rules and obligations and expectations. In the Wizarding world, the Malfoys were pretty much the definition of nobility – if not royalty even – and there was only one heir. So what was he to do but act as befitting his station?

So Hermione empathized. But now the war was over, Voldemort defeated and the Death Eaters pretty much done for. Thanks to Harry, Ron and herself testifying at their trial, Malfoy and his mother were free, so how could he not take this opportunity to start anew? To let bygones be bygones, and be who she instinctively felt he could be?

He was really smart (considering that he came second best in their year, each year, and he definitely didn't spend nearly as much time as she did studying, so imagine what he could do if he really dedicated himself to it), so he could do a lot of good by putting his mind to use, to create spells, potions, etc. Hermione just knew he would make a difference for the good if only he'd try.

But no, apparently Draco Malfoy was as obnoxious as always, and Hermione did feel let down.

On the other hand, he had been cursed, and she could definitely understand his frustration at being turned into a beast. He was pretty vain about his good looks, so now he was probably taking it very hard, otherwise why would he have isolated himself with only a house elf for company? Hermione was sure his isolation was self-imposed – she knew for a fact that Narcissa Malfoy loved her son immensely, so she never would have left him, if he hadn't asked her. Hermione knew that from Harry, he had told her about that moment in the forest when Voldemort had asked Malfoy's mother to check whether Harry was still alive and she lied, because she loved her son more than she feared Voldemort, and that was saying something.

In any case, Hermione felt that not having his good looks for a change would be good for Malfoy… in the long term. Perhaps he'd become a bit more humble, and a little less ready to make fun of others for what they looked like. But that was going to take a while, that much was obvious – now he was just as annoying as ever, or maybe even more.

Maybe it was due to his transformation that Malfoy was being so … impossible. But even so, it was really horrible of him to make her a prisoner after she had helped him obtain his freedom. She should have been angry, and she sort of was, but it was hard to feel both anger and feel sorry for someone at the same time, and Hermione was fighting with these contradictory feelings.

Malfoy, however, was making it easier by the minute to lean to one side – the side of anger – with his comments.

"Have you gone blind, Granger? I think it should be pretty obvious I _have_ changed".

Hermione didn't take the bait. She really did understand Malfoy's frustration and it was obvious he hadn't imprisoned her due to his hatred for Mudbloods or anything like that, he was just desperate to be human again, and despite his denials, it was obvious he trusted her to find a solution. She smiled at that.

Besides, she didn't find his beast form that repulsive. In fact, seeing as she missed her cat, Crookshanks (who had remained back home with her parents), she felt a strange compulsion to stroke Malfoy instead, to see if he'd purr for her. She almost giggled aloud at that thought – and she was sure it'd be the worst possible thing to do right now, when he was probably feeling extremely self-conscious.

But really, how could you not like a seven feet tall fur ball? Because that was what Malfoy was, at the moment – Hermione almost itched with the desire to play with his ears, she really liked all that extra fur around his head, and his tail looked like it'd be pretty smooth to the touch – not that he'd actually let her touch his tail…

"You haven't changed in what really matters", she said, so as to take her mind off his tail, but apparently he had already noticed.

"Really? Then why are you staring at my tail for? I assure you I don't have any fleas in it, even if I do flick it every now and then".

Hermione had been so close to bursting into laughter that she feared she might have cracked a rib, trying to hold it in. Malfoy suffering from fleas! He'd die first, from the indignity of it! Trying to compose herself, and still focused on his tail, she came up with an idea that she hoped would defuse the tension.

"Well, it's just that…. I had a tail once."

That seemed to give him pause.

"How did that even happen? Or do I even want to know?"

Hermione was pleased that he seemed thoroughly distracted and calm now.

"It's an interesting story, though if I tell you, you have to promise you won't tell anyone else – it involves certain… ahem… not so legal activities".

"Hermione Granger, breaking the rules? This I've got to hear. You have my promise it'll be our secret".

"Okay then, but be warned that you might not like the story till the end. Do you remember back in our second year at Hogwarts, when all those people got petrified, including me, at one point?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, before Christmas break, Harry, Ron and I talked about figuring out who was behind the attacks – and you were strutting about the castle, seeming very well informed, not to mention you were a Slytherin, one whose family had been in that House for generations, so we were sure you knew who it was – even if you weren't the heir yourself, as Ron thought."

"Go on." Hermione smiled – Malfoy was clearly intrigued about her story. She wondered how long this fragile peace would last when he found out the rest of it.

"It was clear to us that we needed to get information from you, but it was also obvious you weren't going to tell us what we wanted to know if we just came up to you and asked."

"Of course I would have told you ... to bugger off"

She ignored his sarcastic comment.

"So I came up with a solution: Polyjuice potion."

"What?!"

Okay…..she could see that now he was starting to not like the story so much.

"Yes, I brew it and then the three of us each drank a cup – Harry turned into Goyle, Ron into Crabbe… as for me, I was supposed to turn into Milicent Bullstrode, but unfortunately the hair I took from her robe – when she was trying to kill me bare handedly during the Dueling Club lesson – was her cat's, not hers. Polyjuice potion is only for human transformations, so the result was 'exotic', to say the least. My head looked like a giant cat head, and I sprouted a tail – I had to stay in the infirmary _for ages_ until I reverted back and stopped coughing fur balls. So I kind of empathize with you".

Her statement was met with silence. He had seemed quite impressed when she mentioned she brew the complex Polyjuice potion in their second year, but then his face had turned dark when she talked about Harry and Ron's transformation and now… she couldn't really figure out whether that was a grimace on his face or something else.

But she found out a moment later, when he gave a great barky sort of laugh and then kept on laughing, while he sat on the floor, so as not to double over with mirth. She smiled at his laughter and waited a couple of minutes for him to settle down.

"I would have paid a hundred – no, _five_ hundred galleons to see you looking like that", he said and Hermione gave in and grinned back.

"It wasn't funny for me, and I think you're well aware of that in your present circumstances", she said ruefully.

He seemed to have sobered up completely.

"Well, since we're making confessions, I might as well contribute and tell you something I bet you don't know about that incident – and I, too, warn you that you might not like it".

It was Hermione's turn to feel intrigued.

"Do tell", she said.

"I'm sure Potter and Weasley didn't tell you the details of what I said to them that day, but only that I didn't know who Slytherin's heir was, correct?"

"Seeing as I was distraught about my partial animal transformation, yes, I didn't ask them for details. I, unlike Parkinson and other girls, don't feel the need to hang on your every word".

"I remember thinking that Crabbe and Goyle were acting even more retarded than usual, but I didn't give it a second though, and I talked to them openly, without suspecting your little 'illegality'".

Hermione was getting pretty tired, as it was past midnight, so she let that one slip, as she intended to go straight to bed after hearing his side of the story.

"I told them what my father had told me – that the Chamber had been opened before, and that a Muggle born was killed back then, and after that I said…"

His voice trailed off and Hermione wondered why he seemed so reluctant to continue.

"Yes?" she prompted, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I said that it was a matter of time before a muggle born was killed again, and… and that I hoped it would be… you".

Hermione knew her face showed hurt – but she couldn't believe he had actually wished her dead, regardless of their prolonged animosity.

"Look, I was an idiot back then, OK? I was upset with you because father was upset with me for being only second best in the previous year. I didn't really mean it".

She was slightly mollified – he seemed genuinely sorry about saying such a horrid thing, and he had confessed his "crime" of his own accord, he even called himself an idiot! But he still needed lessons in apologizing.

"If that was an apology, it was quite a poor one – but I'll take it anyway", she said, with a tight smile.

He seemed relieved.

"Good".

Well, if he could apologize, even in such a roundabout manner, then so could she, Hermione thought.

"I apologize for using Diffindo on you – I admit I knew it wasn't going to work, but I was upset with my imprisonment, and the Unbreakable vow I made said nothing about not… _teasing_ you", she said sheepishly.

That seemed to take him by surprise.

"An inexcusable oversight on my part." he said, but he sounded quite amused.

"Merlin's pants, Granger, that was quite Slytherin of you. I'm impressed – but I am sure you won't repeat this little trick in the future or I might use the Severing charm on _your_ clothes, and we'll see how you like it then".

Hermione blushed furiously at that, but she decided not to give a reply, as he was obviously in the mood for further banter while she felt it was high time they went to bed – _separately_ , of course! Hermione would never dream of anything else, but now that the thought had crossed her mind, Malfoy's beast form did look incredibly… _cuddly_ to her, he'd make a wonderful hugging pillow that would surely keep her warm during the cold night in the big old drafty castle. Her compulsion to run her hands through his fur returned tenfold.

 _Hermione, you're being silly_ , she silently chided herself. Definitely time for bed, before she could say or do something stupid.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed, as it's quite late and I'm sure I won't be able to read anything more tonight."

"Before you go, there's one more thing I need to tell you and I'm sure you won't like it very much".

"Thanks for the warning, but wouldn't it have been better not to do whatever it is you did that you think I won't like?", she pouted. What was he going to tell her this time? She really just wanted to sleep.

"It wasn't completely up to me. Your friends decided to reply to your letter… and I had two options: the first was not to allow the letter inside the castle wards, or to let it in, which I did, but seeing as I have no control over what they write, and being reasonably worried about their intentions, I felt I had to read that reply and make sure everything was OK".

"You did _what_?! You read my letter? Unbelievable!"

Hermione was furious! How dare he! That was something private! But she was grateful he had let the letter in at all and she was also curious how he managed to convince the owl to give the letter to someone other than the person whom it was addressed to. She had to ask.

"Well, what's done it's done. How did you trick the owl into doing that?"

"I didn't _trick_ Emerald into doing anything – she just knows me and knew I'd want to have a look at that letter before it was delivered. In any case, I won't allow any more letters in, just so you know."

Nice name for an owl, Hermione thought. And how was it that both his freed house elf and his owl seemed to simply _adore_ Malfoy? There must be more to him than met the eyes. She remember what Sirius had once told Ron, that if someone wanted to know what a man was like, they should look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. She stored the thought aside, for later analysis.

"You don't have to worry about other letters, I already told Harry and Ron that in the future it might be impossible to communicate – and also that they should only come and try to get me out if I'm not back by the 30th of August. I'm sure that won't be a problem given the Unbreakable vow, but I figured I'd give them a date so as to keep their worrying to a minimum".

She got up from the armchair, put the book she had been reading ("Transfiguration fails and how to retrieve what's left" by Deficius Morfi) on the small table nearby, then stretched as she was feeling a little numb.

"If you'll kindly give me the letter you already read, I'll be off to get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning", she said tiredly. It had been too long a day.

Hermione was glad he handed her the letter without further comment and then he held the library doors open for her to exit first.

They walked in silence to her bedroom door, and before she entered the room she called a hasty "good night" over her shoulder, heard him wishing her the same and then she had finally closed the door and she was alone, Harry and Ron's letter still clutched tightly in her hand.

* * *

Entering his own bedroom, Draco thought that the day had gone pretty well. It seemed like a small eternity had passed since she came to his castle. Before she arrived, he was resigned to spend the rest of his life alone (well, with Mopsy and probably an occasional visit from his mother), continuously searching for a way to become human again.

It was like when Granger entered the castle, hope had come with her. Now he looked forward for the next two months, and he was actually starting to believe she would find a way to break the curse. If there was a way, she'd find it, and Draco was sure she'd find it within the time limit, that's just how she was wired – homework always done on time, with time to spare.

Now, what to do about his shaved chest and arms, he wondered? He could try the Mending charm, but wasn't it forbidden to use it on living beings? Draco remembered reading something like that somewhere… yes, it was in the Book of Spells, by Miranda Goshawk, he had that book in the library.

"Accio Book of Spells", he said, and then, on a second thought, added "Accio severed fur". Maybe the spell wasn't forbidden and then he'd need his fur back to reattach it – hopefully Mopsy hadn't been excessively zealous in her cleaning and his fur was still on the library floor.

In a few moments, both the book and the fur flied straight into his hands – he was annoyed to see the fur had all rolled up in one big fur ball. Lovely.

He set the fur ball on the nightstand and then sat down on his bed with the book, to look up the information he needed. Yes, there it was, the Mending charm was suitable for use only on inanimate objects, use on living beings being entirely proscribed – serious scarring could result if it were cast on a person or animal in an attempt to heal wounds.

Then again, Draco thought, he didn't want to use it to heal wounds, just to reattach his fur. It was worth the risk.

He took his wand, pointed it at the fur ball and chanted "Reparo". The fur reattached itself to his skin and looking into the only mirror left unbroken in the castle (which was hung on the wall opposite his bed), Draco let out a relieved sigh that he was back to normal – well, as normal as being a beast could possibly be.

Granger had said he hadn't changed in what really mattered – should he take that as a compliment, meaning that she didn't mind his hideous form, or as an offense, meaning he was still as much of a prat as he was in school?

In any case, he wondered whether she completely hated him now that he told her about saying he wished she'd die all those years ago – not to mention he had confessed to reading her letter. But there was no helping it, trying to hide things from her or lie would only make her distrust him more, and he wanted to build trust between them.

He hadn't been as annoyed by the letter as he feared he'd be. Potter wrote that he would still worry about her until she came back, but that he'd respect her wish for them to go on with their vacation. The Weasel, though, had half a mind to try to break down the doors of the castle – only he couldn't see them, apparently none of them could.

Draco was quite pleased with the fact that his enchantments had worked – and he also thanked God for Padma Patil. He didn't know exactly who she was, although he did vaguely remember two Indian twins whom had been Potter and Weaselbee's partners at the Yule Ball – but from what the letter said, she and her twin had also been visiting the Loire Valley castles and they had met Granger's friends at Chateau Amboise.

This Padma person seemed to be quite smart (she must have been the one in Ravenclaw, he remembered that at the time of their sorting, he had found it interesting that twins ended up in different Houses) as she suggested they respect Granger's wishes to continue their vacation but that at the same time they could research ways to break through enchantments _together._

Weaselbee must be denser than dense to write about spending time with some other girl, even if it was for the apparent purpose of rescuing Granger. But it served his purposes just fine, as what he really wanted was for them all to go away and leave him alone with Granger, to take advantage of these couple of months he had her all to himself.

He wondered how things will be between them in the morning, now that his identity had been found out. Would they get along, or continue snapping at each other? He didn't exactly dislike their arguments, it was kind of fun to exchange sarcastic comments – one needed wits to be able to do that, and they seemed to be pretty evenly matched.

On the other hand, he wanted to get along with Granger and have quiet, peaceful moments when they could enjoy comfortable silence, or laugh together at the misadventures they had during their years at Hogwarts. And, of course, he looked forward to researching with her ways to turn back into a human. He wasn't sure he'd be able to focus on what he was reading if he were at her side, but maybe he could just pretend to be researching, and admire her instead? Granger was the faster reader in any case, so he could trust her with actually getting some research done.

Draco got into bed, and as he closed his eyes, he thought that however the day would turn out, it was going to be interesting. He drifted off to sleep…


	6. The fairy tale and the kiss

**A/N:** As always, thanks to everyone who is reading this story.

I'm really sorry it took longer than usual to upload this chapter, and to thank you all for patiently waiting, I have a surprise for you later on in the chapter, and I'm sure you'll like it as much as I did when I was writing the scene It's quite the treat! ;)

Oh, as per my habit, I've "pilfered" a couple of lines here and there, this time some of Ron's lines and I've attributed them to Draco, as I want to point out how Hermione might be confused about her feelings.

From now on it'll be a bit longer between updates, but I hope you'll think it was worth it.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 5 The fairy tale and the kiss**

Lying in her bed, Hermione found that although she was dead tired, she couldn't sleep. And even more surprisingly, it wasn't the discovery of the Beast's identity as Malfoy that was keeping her awake. It was something else – something that bothered her a lot because she didn't know what to think, and that wasn't something that happened to her very often.

Just as when she had first seen the castle with its thorny garden and immediately thought about the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, now she couldn't help but notice the glaring similarities between Malfoy's situation and the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale. It was uncanny that Malfoy should be cursed and transformed into a beast, and that he retreated to a castle in France, of all places.

It was also rather curious that she had managed to see the castle, despite Malfoy's protective enchantments – Harry, Ron and the others hadn't been able to see it, they said as much in their letter. Yes, she had read the letter, and although it was a relief to know her friends had agreed to her wishes, she was a bit put out at Ron's obvious enthusiasm about Padma offering her help. Hermione knew Ron was weak against attention, especially attention from girls, so perhaps it was no wonder he felt flattered. In a way it was better this way – perhaps by the time Hermione saw Ron again, he'd be less inclined to stick to her at all times.

Still, was Padma a masochist? From what her twin sister, Parvati, was saying in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory the morning after the Yule Ball, Padma had been furious with Ron because he neglected her the entire night, not dancing with her even once. So why was she so eager to help now?

Hermione decided she didn't really care. She was much more interested in thinking about the Beauty and the Beast story similarities. Belle had always been a heroine of hers, because she loved books too yet longed for adventure, just like Hermione. And Belle had been imprisoned by the Beast, just like Malfoy had imprisoned Hermione. Very curious indeed.

But there was no way that story was somehow turning into reality, Hermione reasoned. No curse could make a fairy tale come true… This couldn't be more than a weird set of coincidences. She wondered whether it was worth telling that story to Malfoy. Hermione was pretty sure he didn't know about it, as he was pureblooded, and had no interest in muggle related things like this story.

She cast the idea aside – if she told Malfoy the _entire_ story, he might get the absurd notion that she was trying to tell him to fall in love with her, which would happen when Blast-Ended Skrewts flew – that is to say never, though she made a note to self never to tell Hagrid about this idea, he might think it's a good one and actually cross breed the ghastly monsters with something with wings.

Hermione didn't really believe in coincidences, but it was the simplest explanation - the similarities to the fairy tale couldn't be anything more than just that, so she tried to let the matter rest and to finally go to sleep.

She thought she heard something from the room next to her. Drifting off to sleep, she thought to herself it sounded like purring… maybe she missed Crookshanks so much that she was imagining the sound, she was half asleep in any case, perhaps she was dreaming… or maybe that was Malfoy's room and he was making that sound? Crookshanks sometimes did that … The idea of Draco Malfoy purring in his sleep seemed quite hilarious to her and she fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

* * *

Draco woke up the next morning in a good mood – the first time that happened to him since he was cursed. He called for Mopsy and when the elf entered his bedroom he asked whether Granger had gotten up yet or not.

"Miss was up at dawn, Master", squeaked the elf. "Miss had breakfast and then went to the library."

Great, Draco thought, he had already missed his chance to have breakfast with Granger, and it was one of the things he had been waiting forward to.

"Didn't I say that if she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all?"

The elf looked pretty distraught.

"Mopsy thought Master said that only because he was angry, but Mopsy tried to stop Miss from eating without Master, just in case – Miss said it was nonsense, and cooked her own breakfast. Mopsy can punish herself for failing to keep Miss from breakfast."

"No need, Mopsy, just please prepare my usual breakfast, and I'll be down in a minute to eat".

"Yes, Master", Mopsy squeaked and left the room.

So Granger could cook – he wondered what she made for breakfast, and made a mental note to himself to ask her to cook for him as well.

He took a shower (having to dry his fur with the hot air charm, "Sicco!", as it would have taken forever for it to dry naturally or just by using towels), got dressed, went to the dining room and ate his breakfast (two blueberry jam filled croissants and a cup of strong coffee), then he went to the library, where, sure enough, Granger was sitting in the same armchair, a different book open on her lap.

He was pleased to notice she had chosen a long sleeved, square necked mauve Victorian dress, probably because she didn't have much to choose from – Draco secretly enjoyed seeing her in such feminine clothing and had deliberately refrained from instructing Mopsy to fetch some modern clothing for Granger.

This time she heard him enter.

"Good morning. Your… fur is back. Did you use the regrowing hair spell? Harry told me he involuntarily used it before he came to Hogwarts, he wondered if there was an incantation for it."

Draco was pleased that she noticed his mended fur, and also that she still sounded somewhat remorseful, as she should be – it would have been horrible if the mending charm hadn't worked.

"I simply used Reparo, believe it or not".

"But it's not allowed to use that charm on people!"

She was still too stuck on rules, Draco thought. She needed to sort out her priorities.

"Just like it's not allowed to secretly brew Polyjuice potion? Besides, I took a page from your book, Granger, and looked the spell up. It says it's not supposed to be used to heal people or animals – I've only used it to reattach the fur you so needlessly removed".

He noticed she had the good grace to blush. She also seemed quite impressed.

"Well, the Slytherin resourcefulness is legendary after all – it's what your House is known for, but that you'd use it in this manner…"

"Such a tone of surprise", Draco said and wondered why Granger flinched. Was it something he said? Not that he could tell, but then again, he still had a lot to figure out about her.

"So anyways, tomorrow morning I won't mind if you wake me up early – and you can even make breakfast for two…". Draco figured it wouldn't hurt to test the water, see her reaction.

" _Sure_ , and while I'm at it why don't I do some washing for you too, perhaps iron you clothing as well?" Okay, she was in full temper, Draco realized, and apparently she was just starting. "I'm not a housewife, I'm not even your wife, so don't go asking for ridiculous things or you might have one more curse to deal with".

"Galloping gargoyles, Granger, what's got your wand in a knot? I just wanted to say that I should have woken up earlier so that I could have a quick breakfast and then come help with the research."

Draco saw she was going to push the matter further, so he talked before she got a chance to do so.

"Was it worth waking up so early? Did you find anything interesting in the books?" he asked, as he wondered over to a shelf and started reading book titles.

"Time is Galleons, if you'd kindly remember. And I thought I'd start, like I said before, with the most obvious books, so I looked through The Healer's Helpmate, Healing at Home with Herbs, Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions, Where There's a Wand, There's a Way, Powers You Never Knew You Had and What To Do With Them Now You've Wised Up, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection".

Wow – she actually went through so many books in one morning? He was definitely impressed…. and appalled by some of those titles.

"Wait, there's a book actually called Powers You Never Knew You Had and all the rest of that?!" Draco had to ask.

"There is. Harry, Ron and I looked through it during our fourth year, trying to find something to get Harry through the second task of the Triwizard Tournament".

There it was again, Potter and the Weasel. Though it was hardly surprising her thoughts went back to them, Draco thought. They had practically spent the last year together on the run, defeated Voldemort and whatnot. But he wanted to create a bond with her too, and he was sure breaking his curse had to create such a connection. Assuming they succeeded, but he trusted Granger to find a way.

"Ok, so was that book or any of the others any good? Because something tells me you won't find a description of my curse and the way to breaking it in 'Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions'…"

"I _think_ so", she replied and Draco noted she didn't sound sure at all, but since she mentioned it at all, it meant chances were not zero for it to work.

"Really?" he perked up. "What do you mean?"

"There is something in 'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection'. It's a substance called Potion no. 220 that has the effect of breaking a lot of the minor and medium curses, but it does say that it might not work 100% in the case of more serious ones."

"And you'd call _this_ ", Draco pointed to his body, "minor? Or even a medium curse? I'd say it's outright one of the nastiest curses one could come up with, but that's just me". He felt disappointed – for a moment there he actually thought she might have found something.

"Look, it's worth a shot, especially seeing as you're not going to lose any more fur with this."

"Well, _that's_ a relief", he acidly replied.

"It's really up to you, but if you want to try it, I'm sure I can brew this potion – given that you have the necessary ingredients."

"And you're sure there won't be any negative side effects?" Draco asked cautiously.

"Quite sure… the worst that can happen is for it not to have any effect. Oh, and I understand it's not very tasty, but it can't be worse than Polyjuice Potion".

"Yet another reassuring observation. OK, then, what would you need in order to make this potion?"

"Dried billywig stings, boom berries, honeywater, fluxweed and dandelion roots."

"There's an underground room in this castle dedicated to potion making - I think we can find all those ingredients in the cabinets there".

"Okay, but perhaps during the course of this day you could remember to fetch me some more appropriate clothing – I can barely move in this monstrosity".

Draco smirked – of course she wouldn't let that pass. But there were less conspicuous dresses to choose from, he was sure, which meant that despite her protests, Granger liked Victorian dresses. What an interesting thing to discover about her, he thought, and he wondered whether Potty and the Weasel knew this particular detail.

With a nod of his head that he hoped could later on be passed as noncommittal – as he had no intention of getting her different clothes - he indicated that she should follow him and led the way.

Every now and then Draco sneaked a look back at her, and he noticed Granger's eyes widened as they went through one of the ground floor archways into a stone corridor that lead to stone stairs spiraling down.

The dungeons were pretty gloomy, the few wall torches barely illuminating the dark corridors – and it was quite cold down there, so Draco wasn't surprised to see a shiver go through Granger.

"Here we are", he indicated a door to their left and allowed her to enter first.

* * *

Hermione was quite nervous about being in such dim lit surroundings, not to mention it was quite cold, but she entered nonetheless, taking in the standard size 2 copper cauldrons, the tables covered in vials and recipients of all shapes and sizes, and the supply cabinets lined against the walls of the room.

She placed the book that contained the instructions for the potion on the table, and then looked through the cabinets until she found all the necessary ingredients.

"Preparing the potion might take a while, as I need to crush the billywig stings, boil the broom berries and honeywater together, stew the fluxweed separately for an hour and cut the dandelion roots into small pieces. And once I've done all that and mixed them together, they need to be infused for half an hour."

She hoped that by telling him all the details, it'll make him go away and leave her with her thoughts but no such luck.

"I can help with that – at least the crushing and the cutting – and you can boil and stew the rest of the ingredients".

"Ok then".

She saw no reason to refuse help, especially as he seemed quite focused on what he was doing and therefore before long there was no sound in the room other than that of chopping and bubbling and such.

Hermione was pleased to see that Malfoy obviously knew what he was doing, so it was not just Snape favoring Slytherin students all those years at Hogwarts – Malfoy was actually very good at potions.

She thought about how he had remarked on her surprised tone earlier, and how it had been a reminder of what Ron had said to her when she was impressed by his fighting skills against the Death Eaters that night when they had extracted Harry from his relatives' house. It was also the words she gave back to him when he commented on how nice she looked at Bill and Fleur's wedding. It had been one of their things, and now Malfoy had to get in the middle of that.

It might seem like little reason to get upset for, but she felt that there were few things like that that connected Ron and her – all those things they did together, from the very start with that troll incident, it was always the _three_ of them, Harry included, so there wasn't much left for just the two of them.

Although there was something there beneath the surface between Ron and her ever since the first year of school, Hermione wondered whether their… "relationship" was going anywhere. She didn't even know whether she could call it a relationship, as Ron hadn't exactly officially asked her to be his girlfriend.

She still remembered the sixth year at Hogwarts, when he enjoyed Lavender Brown's affection so much and then spent all that time kissing her – it was true that eventually he got tired of it, but wasn't he on the very same path with her? The beginning was identical, kissing all the time, hanging around her all the time - and at that level of intensity, it would be no wonder whether the "passion" would be worn out before long.

Not to mention that now there was a new face in the picture – Padma Patil. It's true that Ron hadn't seemed interested in her back in fourth year, but what about now? If she showered him with attention, he might very well fall for it, and Hermione could do nothing, locked in an enchanted castle as she was.

"Granger, that mixture is about to boil over, or did you figure you had too much material to work with?"

Hermione returned her attention to the cauldron and removed it from the fire, not quite able to believe how distracted she's been.

"No, I have just the right amount and if you're done with the crushing and cutting, we can mix everything together", she said, focused on the present task once more.

She was surprised that he managed to cut the daffodil roots quite so small – it must have been quite a challenge with his big paws. The billywig stings though were crushed to powder, and she imagined that was something more fit for his current abilities.

She mixed the ingredients and the potion gave a satisfying hiss.

"Well, as we have to wait for half an hour, I suggest we go back to the library, it's much more pleasant there, what with the fireplace, and the light and everything".

Hermione was feeling quite chilled from the lack of heat, and she longed for the comforting atmosphere of the library.

They went upstairs and she decided to continue reading, just in case the potion didn't work out… and she wasn't at all sure that it _would_ work. Choosing to go with the opposite approach this time, she retrieved from the shelves the darkest book of magic she could think of, hoping that Malfoy's curse might be mentioned there - Secrets of the Darkest Art by Owle Bullock. She sat on her favorite armchair, and went through the same page of the book twice before she realized why she couldn't focus.

Malfoy was circling the table stand where she had placed the potion, and she wondered whether he'd keep that up for the entire half hour that they had to wait. That was an unpleasant prospect, as she'd definitely get no reading done.

"Sit!" Hermione ordered briskly, and she was amazed to see he promptly did so – directly on the floor. Was he a dog? The possibilities of being able to tame and train him did sound like an entertaining prospect.

But he seemed to have realized his involuntary reaction because he sat back up.

"Don't order me around!"

"Then stop circling, I can't focus on my reading!"

He grumbled something and then went to a shelf, picked a book – at random, Hermione could bet – and sat down with it on an armchair across the room from her and the potion.

Better. She liked it when he kept his distance, because having him close unnerved her. Despite having spent only a day with him so far, it seemed like much more, and she also got to know him better than she'd known him in six years of school.

Back at Hogwarts she'd never had the chance to spend time alone with him, to talk to him so much, to work together for a cause… and she found out that she didn't exactly dislike it, quite the contrary in fact. Sure, they argued and their tempers rose often, but that was something that also happened a lot between Ron and her back in school.

She shook her head at the disloyal thought of comparing Ron with Malfoy. If this is what one day with him did to her, what would two months do? Hermione dreaded the thought. And her thoughts kept on going back to the story of the Beauty and the Beast, all those curious similarities – although she was no beauty and he, despite all appearances, was no beast.

Like Dumbledore had explained to Harry how Voldemort had sort of made Professor Trelawney's prophecy come true by trying to kill Harry, she was afraid that comparing the current situation with that fairy tale would somehow make it become real. It was a pretty absurd thought, but once an idea took root in one's mind, it was hard to get rid of.

In any case, that only meant that the sooner she managed to revert Malfoy into his human form, the sooner she could get out of there and put the whole thing behind her.

She returned to her book.

* * *

Draco looked at the grandfather clock in the eastern corner of the library and noticed, with relief, that the half hour was done.

"It's time", he said, jumping out of his armchair, book forgotten (something he had, in any case, picked up at random, and which had proved to be nothing more than a family dark magic tome of sort – completely useless).

Granger had jumped out of her skin at his booming voice – she had clearly been doing serious research, not like him. Draco watched her put the book aside, and go take the potion vial from the table stand to examine it.

From what he could tell, everything was in order: the potion had turned a peridot color, just as it was supposed to. She seemed to think so as well, as she handed him the vial.

"Ready to try it?"

Now or never, he thought, as he drank the potion.

It tasted sort of…. grassy, but not altogether as bad as he feared. Initially he didn't feel like it had any effect, but then he felt it warm him from the inside, and it got warmer and warmer, until every inch of his body felt like it was burning hot, and just as he gave a howl of pain, he felt his voice change, and he felt the pain vanish.

And then he saw Granger staring at him wide-eyed, her jaw slack in clear awe. Dare he look?

He did, and couldn't believe his eyes. He was human again.

* * *

Hermione watched with horror as he seemed to be in intense pain and when she heard his howl, she was sure something had gone terribly wrong, and mutely berated herself for not thinking to bring along one of the bezoars in the cabinets in the potions room. Maybe if she apparated there would be enough time… but still, why had it happened, the potion wasn't supposed to have any negative effects? Was it because he wasn't exactly human at the moment?

She realized she was panicking and decided to apparate and get that bezoar, that was the priority at the moment, but before she could turn on the spot, she saw something happen – his fur seemed to be in-growing somehow, shorter by the second, and he was growing smaller… could it be that he was actually reverting to his human self?

Hermione was frozen, watching breathlessly as indeed, as each second passed, Draco Malfoy became more and more like his former self, until in less than a minute he was human again. She couldn't believe it!

"You did it!" he shouted in triumph and before she knew it he had lifted her off her feet and was spinning her round and round in a gesture of pure happiness and delight, his musical laughter ringing in her ears, and she felt like she had gone down the rabbit hole in a completely different world, where Draco Malfoy would hold her like that.

Then before she could figure out what his intentions were, he had set her down on the floor, cradled her head between his hands and he was kissing her – like she'd never been kissed before.

His lips were very soft but firm and insistent upon hers and Hermione knew she'd never be able to deny him entry, because the moment he had kissed her – and even earlier, ever since he lifted her in his arms, she had felt something like an electric shock go through her, that sapped her of all her strength and left her melting as if she were no more solid than the pudding at the Hogwarts feast.

Not finding any resistance, his tongue plunged into her mouth and she could feel him tasting her and then, her head spinning, she could taste him, and all form of coherent thought was lost. There was only feeling – the feeling of their tongues intertwined, the feeling of his hands, one in her hair, the other firm on her waist, the feeling of all the places where their bodies met, her breasts to his chest, her most sensitive part pressed to his. It was overwhelming, exhilarating and completely amazing.

Hermione felt her knees give way, and he followed her down as they now kneeled on the thick rug, never breaking the kiss, and to her surprise, she found her hands, which had hung, as if lifeless, along her body, rise up to touch his hair, his neck, then grab his shoulders, as he leaned over her, increasing the intensity of their kiss, something she wouldn't have thought possible.

He kept on leaning on her and before she knew it she felt the floor beneath her head, and his body was completely covering hers, and his weight felt _so_ good, pressed close to her, and now one of his hands had come down from her hair and was touching her breast through the brocade of the dress…

* * *

Draco didn't know what had gotten into him that he actually lifted Granger off the floor and spun her around the room, but he was incredibly happy to be free of the curse and he wanted to share his happiness with the one who made it possible.

She seemed to be taken completely by surprise, probably why she didn't protest when he lowered her back down, and then kissed her with all the passion he had repressed for so long.

Her lips were so soft, and once he breached through them, she tasted extremely sweet. He had to feel more of her so with one hand he touched her hair – something he had wanted to do for an eternity, and he was surprised that despite its thickness, it wasn't coarse at all, but soft to the touch. He could also smell her hair, a very fresh sort of scent that he couldn't exactly identify – but was sure he had smelled before… Yes, he remembered, it had been in their sixth year, during Slughorn's first Potions class, when he had caught a whiff of the Amortentia potion…

But he had more _pressing_ things to deal with. He placed his other hand on her waist, and even through the material of the dress he could feel a wave of heat emanating from her skin.

Draco felt her sag in his arms and so he lowered them to their knees, deepening the kiss, and leaning over her, wanting to get closer and closer – though there obviously wasn't any more room, as he found out a moment later, when he was fully stretched over her on the floor.

He tried not to think about finally having her body flush against his or he thought he might go crazy – it was a fantasy come true, and the feeling of it was beyond anything he could have ever imagined. Everywhere they touched felt like it was on fire, and he just knew that they fit too well together not to be meant to be together.

Draco wasn't exactly inexperienced when it came to girls, and never in his life had he felt so right. He never wanted to let her go, so he deepened the kiss and dared move his hand from her hair down her neck and then lower, to cup one of her breasts… and the feel of it, even through clothing, was exquisite, and he blessed his luck at Granger being so permissive with him… it was like she welcomed his touches, and if her tongue dancing with his was any indication, she actually enjoyed it…

He imagined he'd only ever get closer to paradise if she let him go all the way, which right now was all he could think about… but he should have known better than to think such things, because apparently he jinxed it.

He suddenly felt a return of that pain that made his body felt like it was burning hot – and it was definitely different than a moment ago, when he was burning with passion for Granger. He rolled off of her, and grimaced in pain, and then with a horrible realization, he felt his body change, fur covering it again.

He was, once more, the Beast.


	7. Tending wounds, the walk, the music room

**A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed last chapter. Initially I wanted Draco to remain the Beast throughout most of the story, but then I figured, he's too pretty to stay furry for so long, you know? Besides, I felt the need for a bit more romance, so I had to come up with a loophole. I hope you don't think me cruel for turning Draco back into a human for so little only to have him return to being a beast, but that's the spice of the story.

My chapters are getting a bit longer apparently, but there's a lot to say in this story, and I do like to describe in detail the inner workings of the character's minds, so there you have it.

Also, in this chapter I took an idea from the Deathly Hallows Part I movie, which is that Hermione can play the piano. It's not confirmed in any of the books, but I think it fits her personality, plus I play the piano too and I love classical music, so I really wanted to write a piano related scene. Hope you like it.

Without farther ado, enjoy the latest installment of the story.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 Tending wounds, a walk in the garden and the music room**

As suddenly as Malfoy had started kissing her, he rolled off of her, his face contorted in a grimace of pain, and then fur was once more growing on him and _he_ was growing and… he turned back into the Beast.

Hermione was still not fully out of the pink haze of desire that had engulfed her and apparently obliterated all rational thought from her head. But one thing she could tell even in her altered state: he was not going to be happy about the reversal of his fortune.

And not a moment sooner had she thought it, that he disapparated from the room, gone only he knew where. Hermione remained on the floor, trying to figure out what had possessed her to do what she'd done, and with Malfoy no less.

She gave a startled laugh when she realized her first though was that had his curse really been like the one in the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, then the kiss should have broken the curse for good, instead it seemed to have the opposite effect! Well, Hermione was sure it wasn't the kissing that turned him back into a beast, but rather that the potion had probably worked for a limited amount of time or something like that. She needed to read more about it, to figure out what went wrong – most likely the potion hadn't been strong enough for the curse, but if that was so, perhaps she could find a way to make it more potent…

Not at that particular moment though. She still hadn't finished analyzing the situation closely, and Hermione realized she couldn't completely rule out the possibility that Malfoy was in fact afflicted with the curse in the fairy tale – despite their kiss and their… making out, it hadn't been done out of true love, and physical "closeness" wouldn't work anyway – the only way the Beast in the story returned to being human was that he fell in love with Belle and she loved him back.

So if that really was what Malfoy was suffering from, there was zero chance for _her_ to find a cure – she wasn't in love with Draco Malfoy and there was no way that he was in love with her! So better to just ask him whether he did love someone, and if not, perhaps she should suggest he hold an audition for a girlfriend position? She was sure there would be dozens, even hundreds of candidates for him to choose from.

Hermione noticed there was bitterness in her thoughts, but preferred not to dwell on why it was there - besides, she reminded herself, now that Malfoy was in beast form, there might not be quite so many girls breaking down the castle doors to be his girlfriend. And if some did come, it would be most likely not for loving him, but rather loving the castle and the wealth and the Malfoy name...

She picked herself off of the floor, which wasn't exactly easy in her voluminous dress. Just as she expected, she had come to regret picking that particular frock, but she loved Victorian clothing, so her practicality had been defeated by childhood fantasies.

When she finally managed to sit herself in the armchair, she figured it'd be safe to try and go over the madness of the last few minutes.

Sure, she had been really happy for those brief moments when she'd thought the potion worked, but that was no reason to let him do all _that_ … and no reason whatsoever to _participate_ in all that either…

His joy had been contagious though, his laughter as she'd never heard it before (at Hogwarts, all she'd ever gotten were ironic smirks), and she just got caught up in it all, her senses overwhelmed, her reason severely clouded.

She'd never done something so… forward… with anyone. Ron, however enthusiastic in his kissing, had never let his hands stray far from her shoulders or her waist, and his kisses somehow didn't quite compare…

And Hermione hated herself for once again comparing Ron with Malfoy, and, what's more, apparently finding Ron lacking, not the other way around. Then again, Ron had very limited experience, which surely wasn't the case for Malfoy…

She felt her mood take a serious downturn thinking how much practice Malfoy needed to get that good at kissing and making out. Hermione was probably just one in a long list of names he'd probably long since forgotten. So it was really stupid of her to let him add her to that list.

It was no good crying over spilt potion though, so Hermione decided her next step should be to find Malfoy and ascertain his current mood, see whether he'd be willing to try an improved version of the potion, if she could prepare an Everlasting Elixir in hopes of prolonging the effect.

In order to do that, she'd have to locate him, and in such a big castle, that was likely to last awhile, and time was one thing she couldn't afford to waste… But there was an easier way to find him.

"Mopsy!" she called.

* * *

Draco thought he had known despair before – back when he lived in fear of Voldemort, or when he was first cursed and thought he'd spend the rest of his life as a beast… he was wrong. This was despair, to think he had found a cure and that he stood a chance with Granger, only to have it be taken away from him after what seemed like just a few moments of pure bliss. He felt great violence in him, so he apparated to one of the western towers, in order to avoid lashing out at _her_.

He knew it wasn't Granger's fault that the potion only worked for a couple of minutes, but he was so disappointed and so angry. He trashed everything he found in the tower – luckily it was just a storage space for old family "heirlooms", that is to say junk that no one needed anymore and that some overzealous house elf had saved up there rather than throw it all away.

Now that everything around him was destroyed, he felt better. He drew a deep breath, and pushed aside the stained glass to look outside, hoping fresh air would help calm him. He saw the rose garden with its thorns and decided to solve that particular problem now, as his hunger for destruction wasn't quite sated yet.

He jumped out of the window, landing on the roof of the castle, and then climbed down to the battlements, pushing off the wall until he landed on the ground with a thud. He then proceeded to rip the thorns out by the roots, not caring how much they cut him the process.

How was it possible to fall from the highest peak of happiness to the lowest pits of despair in a matter of moments, he wondered, from heaven to hell in an instant? Before now, he wouldn't have thought it possible.

For a few precious moments everything had been right in his life, but this time it was way worse than what he felt when he got cursed right after he was cleared of all charges at the trial. It was also worse than the moment in the Astronomy Tower when he had almost let himself believe that Dumbledore could save him.

As one of the thorns left a particularly deep gash in his arm when he wrenched it from the ground, Draco realized that thinking like that would get him nowhere, and that no matter the risk, he should try to retain hope – as without it, he was completely lost. If on day 2 Granger found a way to turn him back into a human even for a little time, in two months' time she could surely find a way to change him back for good – perhaps even with an alternate version of that very same potion.

Bearing that in mind, he decided he'd been cut quite enough – he was in fact bleeding heavily from both his arms – and it was time to work some magic to get rid of the problem.

"Spinam Exime!" he chanted and directed his wand toward the remaining thorns. Soon there was nothing left in the garden except for the roses.

He took a minute to admire them and then walked slowly on the cobblestone path that winded around the various colored rose bushes, thinking about what Granger's actions could mean. The fact that she hadn't pushed him away at any point, and the thought of what might have fallowed had the change not come over him, what could it possibly mean?

At first, he thought he had shocked her into numbness and that it was due to that shock that she hadn't fought him, but then what about her responding to his kiss? And what about her hands in his hair and around his shoulders? Those were not the actions of someone numb.

He knew, now, how horrible it was to hope and then have that hope squashed, so he didn't quite allow himself to think that she felt attracted to him. But what else could explain it?

He couldn't follow his train of thought any further as he heard footsteps running after him, so he stopped and turned.

* * *

"Miss called?" asked the house elf, who had apparated next to Hermione.

"I did, Mopsy. Can you tell me where your Master is?" Hermione thought the elf looked worried, and she soon found out why.

"Yes, Miss. Master is in the garden and… he is hurt", Mopsy squeaked.

"He's WHAT?!" Hermione didn't know what to think – had the potion had some unwanted side effects after all? How bad was it? Would she need Essence of Dittany? Was there any in those cabinets she looked through earlier? For the life of her, she couldn't remember….

"He's hurt, Miss", the elf said, wringing her hands.

"How did he get hurt?" she asked urgently.

"Master cleared the garden of thorns, but Master got cut in the process", the elf sobbed, but Hermione felt a wave of relief wash over her. If it was just cuts, it wasn't as bad as she feared.

"It's OK, Mopsy, don't worry, I'll take care of it. Do you know whether there's any Murtlap Essence in the castle?"

"Yes, Miss".

"Perfect. Please bring a bottle of it, some clean towels and a big bowl of hot water to the library", she instructed.

"Of course, Miss", the elf replied, and Hermione thought she sounded less close to tears now.

Hermione apparated at the castle doors, then ran out to try to locate Malfoy.

Soon she caught up with him – he had obviously heard her, as he was in fact waiting for her to reach him.

He was bleeding from his arms pretty badly; if she hadn't known it was caused by thorns she might have thought he'd been attacked by wolves or something.

"What do you think you're doing walking around the garden when you're this hurt? Mopsy is worried sick".

She couldn't keep the bossiness out of her voice – Hermione knew it was one of her less desirable traits, but alas, human nature was one of the hardest things to change. Besides, she hoped that this tone of voice and mentioning the house elf would mask how worried Hermione herself was.

"It's just a few scratches, they'll heal in no time – I noticed that's one of the few good things about this form of mine, though I wouldn't exactly call anything about my condition 'good'".

He didn't sound like he was in great pain, but maybe that was just Malfoy being all "nothing can hurt me".

"I'd rather not wait, if that's all right with you – they might get infected before they get the chance to heal, as you not only have blood on you, but mud too!"

Not waiting for a reply, she pointed her wand at him and chanted "Tergeo", satisfied when the mud was siphoned off of him.

"Come to the library, I want to get those wounds treated", she said in another fair impression of Professor McGonagall's authoritative tone.

Then she walked back inside the castle, apparated in the library, and was glad to find him already there (apparently whatever wards he had from getting in and out of the castle didn't apply to him or Mopsy, just to Hermione) – though she wasn't exactly pleased he was sitting on _her_ armchair. It was his, really, like everything else in the castle, but still, she had come to think of that particular piece of furniture as hers, just like she thought about the room she slept in.

Then again, the Murtlap essence, the towels and the bowl of water were all on the table stand next to her armchair, so perhaps that's why he sat in that particular spot.

She walked to him, and stretched her hand, palm up, expectantly.

A stubborn look crossed his face, but after a couple of tense moments, he stretched his left arm, which was the most injured, and let her examine it.

"Well, the cleaning spell worked very well, your wounds are clean, so it seems like I won't be needing the hot water after all, but I will apply the Murtlap essence", Hermione observed.

She uncorked the bottle, poured a little of the substance on one of the smaller towels, and then tried to press it to the biggest cut on his arm. However, Hermione missed her target, because he tried to avoid her touching him with it.

She tried again, but he evaded her that time as well.

"Here, now. Don't do that. Just hold still", she told him, and finally managed to press the towel on his arm.

"That hurts", he said, from behind clenched…fangs.

"If you'd hold still, it wouldn't hurt as much", she replied calmly, though his childish attitude was starting to get to her. What was he, three years old? Men were such babies when it came to pain. And to think just a few minutes ago he was saying those were just scratches.

"Well, if you hadn't failed in breaking the curse for good, I wouldn't have had a reason to get upset and this wouldn't have happened".

Typical Malfoy – forever blaming others rather than owning up to his mistakes.

"If you hadn't forced me to find a way to break your curse, I wouldn't have had the chance to fail", she said, trying not to get upset, but failing.

"Well, you shouldn't have given me that potion if it was only going to work for a couple of minutes".

"If you hadn't pressed me for fast results, I might have tried something different". Hermione wasn't going to let him have the last words. Perhaps now she was being childish too, but he just brought out the worst in her.

"If you hadn't imposed that 30th of August time limit, I wouldn't have pressed you".

"Well, either way, you should learn to control your temper", she finally said, too drained to continue the argument. The day had had too many highs and lows to waste any more energy on fighting.

"Now hold still. This might sting a little".

He finally held still and she could properly apply the Murtlap essence on both his arms. She could see his facial features relax, which meant the solution was finally working on him.

"I guess it stings because you're not in human form. Normally Murtlap essence should provide instant relief. Harry said so himself when he tried it after that horrible Umbridge woman made him use a Black Quill during detention", Hermione added.

And since he didn't comment anything back, she probed further.

"I still don't understand why you got into that Inquisitorial Squad…"

Would he take that chance and explain? She was happy when he did.

"My father pushed me into it – he was friends with the minister and wanted to advance our family's station… and I enjoyed the extra authority".

His voice sounded rueful and Hermione felt that he had indeed mended his way since those days. And she couldn't really judge him for wanting authority, Hermione herself being as bossy as one could possibly be.

He surprised her by placing his paw over her hand and _thanking her._

"While I probably would have healed before long, that essence really helped, thank you."

"It was nothing much", she replied automatically, still wondering whether this wasn't all just a long, surrealistic dream. Malfoy thanking her, acting civil towards her… had it all changed in just two days?

She remembered why she was looking for him in the first place.

"I think Potion no. 220 hit the mark, although its effects wore off much too quickly. It might be possible to remedy that with an Everlasting Elixir, so I'll read one more time how to make it, and then we can try again, if you're up for it".

She waited anxiously… perhaps he wasn't willing to give it another try.

"Sounds good… I'll leave you to it".

And with that he left the library, and Hermione sat down on the now vacant armchair, with Advanced Potion Making on her lap, hoping that this time she'll manage to permanently turn him back into human form.

* * *

Draco had gotten over his disappointment, and was trying to hope, once more, that Granger might come up with a lasting solution to his problem.

He had enjoyed her tending to his wounds very much. Well, not the stinging part, nor the mention of Saint Potter, but the fact that she had willingly touched him in beast form.

As he exited the library and was heading toward his bedchamber to be alone with his thoughts, he ran into Mopsy, who seemed to be cleaning the dust off the gargoyles decorating the first floor balustrade. He remembered that the elf was pretty insightful when it came to romance, so he might as well ask her for advice. To contact his mother for that was out of the question, she'd probably insist that he tell her who the girl was, and if Draco did tell her, he feared what her reaction might be.

"Mopsy, I want to talk to you about something", he said, making sure he was far enough from the library that his voice didn't carry back to Granger.

"Does Master want to talk about Miss?", squeaked the elf and Draco was once more surprised at how intuitive she was.

"That's right, Mopsy, and I hope you understand that whatever I tell you is strictly between me and you, you're not allowed to tell anyone, not even my mother".

"Yes, Master, Mopsy won't say a thing".

"I think I'm in love with her", he confessed, not quite believing that he voiced something like that. "I've never felt this way about anyone. I want to do something for her, but what?"

"Well, there's the usual things, Master. Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep…"

Draco looked at the elf, but perhaps he hadn't heard that last part quite right – because as far as he knew, elves were rarely, if ever, ironic.

"Ah, no, no, it has to be something very special. Something that sparks her interest", he said, wondering what else he could show her that could thrill her more than the library.

"Master just got hurt cleaning the garden – so Master can take her for a tour of it, Miss will definitely enjoy it, she likes roses".

"Yes, that's a pretty good idea", he said, thinking that Granger did seem to want to roam his gardens, she had asked about it when he told her that the castle was her new home.

"But if Master wants to do something really nice for Miss, he could show Miss the music room", the elf continued.

"Why would she have an interest in the music room? I don't have a wireless there, she won't be able to listen to whatever wacky music she was dancing to with Krum at the Yule Ball", he grudgingly said, remembering all too vividly how much dancing Granger had done that night. His eyes had followed her every movement back then.

"Mopsy heard Miss hum in the shower this morning and Mopsy thought it sounded like a muggle instrumental piece."

Draco didn't quite register the second part of the elf's statement – he was stuck on the image of Hermione Granger, naked, in the shower, humming… His throat had suddenly gone dry and he doubted he could utter another word for a while.

Luckily Mopsy had more to say.

"Mopsy thinks Miss is musically inclined and that Miss probably plays an instrument – and the music room has all sorts of instruments".

Trying hard not to think of Granger naked in the shower, Draco focused on the elf's words and realized she was right on target again.

"You're absolutely right, Mopsy. I'll take her for a walk in the garden this afternoon and then I'll show her the music room this evening."

It sounded like a really good plan so he practically skipped up to his room, trying not to break any statues or columns in his path due to his excitement.

* * *

Hermione hadn't realized how much time had passed since she had started refreshing her memory on Everlasting Elixirs, but she did feel sort of hungry.

The grandfather clock told her it was late enough for lunch, and she wondered whether she should call Mopsy and ask her about the meal, or just do some more research and hope that the elf would eventually call her to eat…

She didn't really feel like reading anymore. Libatius Borage wasn't any clearer in his instructions now than he had been in her sixth year, when she first read his book before Slughorn's class. Despite speaking against it for a long time, Hermione kind of wished she had the Half Blood Prince's copy of the book now, so that she could read Snape's useful additions.

Before she could make up her mind what to do next, Mopsy did apparate in the room and told her "Master" was waiting for her in the dining room so that they could have lunch together.

Hermione went willingly, eager to tell him what she found out. She found him already seated, a slight hint of impatience on his face.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long", she said, politely, once more inspired to be on her best behavior by the extremely beautiful room.

The dining room looked somewhat different in the afternoon light – the candles weren't lit, there wasn't any need for it, and although there was fire in the fireplace, it was only there for warmth. Most of the light came from the tall windows that covered almost the entire northern wall, giving her a view of a more secluded part of the garden, where there was a gazebo and a three tier marble fountain.

Hermione could almost smell the roses, but then she realized that on the mantel of the fireplace there were, in fact, three large vases filled with roses, and their perfume permeated the air in the room.

"Not at all."

He seemed to be behaving as well. She sat down at the table and tasted the hors d'oeuvres, to momentarily appease her hunger, before she talked to him about her progress.

"I looked into the Everlasting Elixirs, as I wasn't sure I remembered correctly everything I read about them in our sixth year – a lot happened since then, after all. In and of themselves they indeed seem to last forever, but the problem is that I don't think they'll be able to make Potion no. 220 keep you human for the rest of your life."

"What do you mean?"

"Well", Hermione explained, "the way I understand it, your curse is too strong for that potion to break, and although it does turn you back into human form for a while, even mixed as an Everlasting Elixir, it won't keep you human forever. You'll eventually become immune to it and it'll stop working altogether".

"Wonderful, I've just lost my appetite".

On the surface he sounded sarcastic, but Hermione could hear disappointment underneath.

"Look, I can still brew the enhanced mixture and turn you back to human for three, possibly four days or so, but after that you'll probably only get to use it once more, with effects that won't last more than a day, before it becomes completely ineffective on you".

She knew it wasn't what he wanted to hear, but she had to be honest with him.

Malfoy was silent for a while before he spoke again.

"I'll take it – it's better than nothing and there's still time…"

His voice drifted off, and then he quickly changed the subject.

"So how long does it take to make this enhanced mixture?"

"It doesn't involve anything too complicated, but seeing as its effect is supposed to last forever, it takes quite a while to brew – to be precise, two weeks."

"I'll be counting on you to have it ready by then – I'm thinking of inviting my mother over for a couple of days while I'm human."

Hermione's fork froze just as she was about to place a particularly delicious looking morsel of cordon bleu in her mouth. It dropped back in her plate with a plop. Narcissa Malfoy… now there was a complication if ever she heard of one.

"Don't look so worried, Granger, you won't have to meet her – in fact, I insist that you don't. It'll be precious time that I get to spend with my mother, and I wouldn't want her to know about our… 'situation', it'd only complicate things".

I'd say, she thought. Just as well, she didn't really fancy meeting Malfoy's mother anyway. She might have saved Harry's life, but that didn't mean she hadn't just stood by as Bellatrix Lestrange, her _sister_ , tortured Hermione.

"Perfect. Like I said, I'll have the potion done no later than the 18th of June. And in the meantime, rest assured, I'll keep looking for other solutions to your problem".

She knew there _had_ to be a way to break his curse once and for all.

"I'm glad to know it. But before you get back to your research this afternoon, I wondered whether you'd like to join me for a tour of the gardens. They're thorn free now, and quite lovely".

She smiled – she had wanted to take a closer look at those roses ever since she first caught sight of them through the castle gates.

"I'd love to go see the gardens!"

After that she finished eating with record speed, eager to get out into the air and see the roses – when she had run after him earlier to tell him to get back in the castle and let her treat his wounds, her thoughts had been for him and nothing else, she hadn't even noticed the flowers. But it was finally time to give them her undivided attention.

* * *

Draco was quite pleased that he'd be able to revert to human form for three, maybe even four days, and all that in just two weeks' time. Sure, it wasn't ideal that he'd only get one more transformation after that, and that it'd only last a day, but it was better than nothing. And he would get to see his mother.

He had initially thought of spending the entire time with Granger, taking advantage of his human form to continue from where they left off – that thought gave him immense pleasure… but then he remembered his mother. Not only was she probably worried sick about him, but he also worried about her, alone in that dreary mansion, and he missed her.

It'd be great to tell her he had an expert working exclusively on finding out a way to break the curse, and he could show her the results by meeting her in his human form, helped by the enhanced Potion no. 220.

He'd have plenty of time to both enjoy time with his mother, and to woo Granger.

And he intended to do just that, as he exited the castle with her and watched her face light up as she looked at the roses.

"Does Mopsy take care of them or did you use magic to color them so and make them be in permanent bloom?"

Here was the perfect opportunity to impress her with his magic skills.

"Mopsy does tend to them, but their color and their permanent bloom is a result of my magic", he said, trying not to sound too pleased with himself.

"Where did you read about the spells? I'm sure Neville would be thrilled to look them up as well".

Great, now it wasn't only Potter and Weaselbee, it was _Longbottom_ too. However, Draco was quite sure that despite Granger always helping the dim witted Gryffindor in Potions class (and not only), she never felt anything other than camaraderie and perhaps pity for him. So no threat there.

"Longbottom can read all the herbology books he wants, he won't find the spell to color roses in any of them because I came up with it", he said, all thoughts of modesty forgotten.

He was pleased to notice Granger looked very impressed.

"As for the bloom, I used a variation of the Herbivicus charm".

"A job well done", she said with a smile, and Draco thought his chest would burst with pride.

As she glanced his way, he thought he saw something… and then he remembered that when they had touched, while he was in beast form, she hadn't shuddered at his paw… He was sure she'd never looked at him that way before. He smiled too, thinking that there was something there that wasn't there before.

* * *

Hermione was quite amazed to hear Malfoy was so proficient at inventing spells and coming up with variations to existing ones to serve his purposes. The Slytherin resourcefulness at work once more, but this time clearly for a good purpose. Her faith in him was renewed.

She smiled and he answered with a smile of his own, and it looked quite… cute… on his furry face.

Hermione thought that there was something sweet and almost kind on that face… but he had been mean and sometimes coarse and unrefined. Still at the moment he was almost dear to her, and she wondered why she hadn't seen it there before.

True, while in beast form, he was no Prince Charming, but Hermione knew how attractive he looked in his original form, plus the feelings she started realizing she had for him were mostly unrelated to looks. It was more like a kinship of minds, and she still wondered why she didn't see it there before.

They walked in companionable silence for a long time, and dusk was starting to settle in. Hermione was feeling a bit cold, but she didn't want to break the spell between them, so she kept silent until she stumbled on a rock she didn't see, and he reached out and steadied her.

Once she was standing firmly on her feet again, he didn't let go, and Hermione pretended not to notice, and they continued their twilight walk, arms linked.

It was only when night had fallen that he broke the silence.

"There's something I want to show you before dinner, if you'd like to head back now".

She wondered what it could be, but nodded and let him lead her back to the castle.

Once they had reached the marble staircase, he turned towards her.

"First you have to close your eyes. It's a surprise."

Hermione was intrigued now, but she did as she was told.

He took her hands in his paws and guided her up the stairs, and off to the right wing of the castle, past his study, and then they stopped. She heard him push heavy doors open, and then he was guiding her inside a dark room.

"Can I open my eyes?" she asked, curious to see what he wanted to show her.

"No, no. N-not yet. Wait here".

She felt the warmth of his paws leave her hands, and then heard some muttered Incendios, and suddenly there was light, first to her right, then to her left, and she tried to follow it, her eyes still closed.

"Now can I open them?"

"All right. Now!"

"I can't believe it!", Hermione exclaimed.

She was in the most beautiful music room she had ever seen.

There was an exquisite black grand piano next to a window that was as big as half the wall, and through which she could see the starry sky. On the other side of the room, artfully arranged there were several other beautiful musical instruments: violins, a harp, flutes, tambourines, and so on.

Elegant sofas where placed in two corners of the room, so she imagined that at some point, recitals and concerts were held there, audience and all. It was amazing.

"How did you know I like classical music?"

"It was an educated guess, based by what Mopsy tells me is your morning routine of humming in the shower".

She blushed furiously, but couldn't be upset with the elf, she meant no harm and it had all led to her discovery of this beautiful room. Being so focused on finding a way to break the curse, Hermione hadn't had time to go exploring the castle, and now she realized what she missed. Sometimes being so righteous made her lose some of the finer things in life. She needed to unwind too, every now and then.

"Would you mind it terribly if I tried my hand at the piano?" she asked shyly.

She had taken piano lessons ever since she was six years old, although once she started going to Hogwarts, those lessons had been limited to the summer holidays and an occasional lesson during Christmas and Easter holidays, when she didn't stay at school during those breaks.

"Quite the contrary, I was hoping you'd say that".

Trying not to blush again, she sat down at the piano, flexed her fingers, then started playing one of her favorite classical pieces, Beethoven's sonata no. 8, op. 13 – "Pathétique".

She thought she heard the rustling of fabric from somewhere in the room and imagined Malfoy had taken a sit on one of the sofas… but she was lost in the beauty of the music. It seemed surreal, to be in a castle, playing the piano in such a beautiful room, in the dim and warm candle light, with Malfoy as audience.

She felt goosebumps on her arms as the beauty of the music enveloped her and echoed off the walls. The room had wonderful acoustics. She played and played and when she finished she closed her eyes, only to open them a moment later and look at Malfoy, who was clapping enthusiastically.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard", he was saying.

Hermione blushed again but thanked him all the same.

"You have to play something else", he was urging, and he seemed genuinely thrilled at the prospect.

"Ok, but just one more piece, or we'll starve before long". Playing the piano was not without effort, especially when you did it with passion, as Hermione always did.

She chose Pachelbel's Canon in D major next, another one of her favorites, and tried not to think that many played that piece at weddings.

The room was once more filled with the sound of the piano, and Hermione felt tears well up at the corner of her eyes, as a sudden homesickness hit her full on. But she played till the end, and didn't let the tears fall. This was not a moment of sadness, but a moment to rejoice in the beauty of music.

Malfoy clapped even louder this time.

"Now I understand what Dumbledore meant when he said that music is a magic beyond what they teach us in school -that was utterly amazing. What did you play?"

"Thank you", she replied. "I played two pieces written by famous muggle composers – both among my favorites, but then I have so many. Tonight it was Beethoven and Pachelbel. If you'd like, tomorrow evening it could be Mozart and Chopin. The night after that I think I'll try Bach and Tchaikovsky. And I'll choose something different for every night from now on".

"That would be great! In fact, while I know time is precious, I think it'll do us good to unwind like this at the end of the day. I'd ask you to teach me to play something simple, if it weren't for these horrible big paws of mine…"

Hermione could hear sadness in his voice and didn't want to let him feel bad again.

"How about I teach you when you're human again for good?" she asked, trying to put as much conviction in her voice as possible. Her question surprised her, because it wasn't long ago that she wanted to break his curse so that she wouldn't have to be next to him a moment longer than necessary, and now she was offering to give him piano lessons once he was back to being human?

She didn't have a chance to take it back though, because he took her up on the offer almost immediately.

"It's a date".


	8. The birthday and the dance

**A/N:** I really wanted to post this chapter today, the 19th of September, as it is Hermione's birth date, and I wanted to celebrate it with a chapter about… a birthday

So happy birthday, Hermione Granger.

This chapter is the longest so far, so sorry about that, I just didn't want to split the birthday theme into more parts. Well, I did cut a little bit of the end – but you'll find the rest in the following chapter.

As always, I'll try to update soon but this evening and tomorrow evening I have plans, which means less time for writing – so I might only get to update on Friday or during the weekend. We'll see.

To all my readers, thanks for bearing with me, and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 7 The birthday and the dance**

Draco had already accepted the fact that he was in love with Hermione Granger, but he hadn't thought it possible to fall in love with her all over again. Still, that's how he felt after her piano recital. Her music had reached a part of his soul he hadn't even known existed.

He was glad the room was only dimly lit, because when she played, he had gotten goosebumps, and Draco imagined his furry self must have looked ridiculous. But he couldn't have controlled that reaction any more than he could stop breathing. Funny thing was, there was another reaction that had come on unexpectedly during her recital – he had purred. Once more, he could only be glad that his purring couldn't be heard over the sound of the piano, or he never would have lived it down. It was worse than when he'd been a ferret!

Dinner was a quiet affair, as Draco was still humbled by Granger's divine performance, and she seemed to be lost in thought as well. They said goodnight to each other after deciding to start working on the enhanced Potion no. 220 first thing after breakfast the next day. No point in starting that evening, it was already midnight – the walk in the garden, the piano recital and the dinner had all lasted longer than expected.

As he entered his room, he was surprised to find a small parcel on his bed. He picked it up and opened it, and discovered it was a green silk pocket square, his monogram, DLM, carefully embroidered onto it with silver thread.

There was a knock on the door and Mopsy came in.

"Does Master like Mopsy's present?" she asked excitedly.

And then Draco remembered – being past midnight, it was his birthday. What with the curse, he had completely forgotten about it. And that was saying something, as his birthday was always cause for celebration - a grand party with most pure-blooded wizards and witches in attendance, there would also be fireworks and… and now he was an isolated beast, so he'd probably have the worst birthday ever. But at least the elf remembered, and she cared enough to give him a gift.

"Yes, Mopsy, I like it, thank you, it's very well done", and indeed it was – what with her spindly arms it couldn't have been easy to embroider.

"Happy Birthday, Master, and if Master does not require anything else before bed, Mopsy will retire".

"You can go. Good night".

The elf wished him a good night and then exited the room.

Well, Draco thought, he had sort of gotten a birthday present through Granger's piano recital – it had been amazing and he could still hear the music ringing in his ears, filling his soul with "joie de vivre". He was probably going to dream of music too, and that would make for very pleasant dreams.

Perhaps he could ask Mopsy to cook something special for the evening – a birthday cake would be a dead giveaway, but perhaps a normal cake?

In any case, his mother would definitely want to send him a present, so he figured he should send Emerald to her with a letter, to invite her over in two weeks' time, and to have the owl deliver to him anything his mother might send.

He phrased his words carefully, expressing regret that he wouldn't be seeing her on his birthday, but telling her that it would be worth the wait if she'd just come in two weeks. He told her there was some progress regarding his condition, though Draco also warned her not to get her hopes too high – he knew how dangerous that could be. He also inquired about Rosier, if he'd been found or if there had been any sightings or news about his whereabouts.

He ended the letter by sending her his love, then went up to the owlery tower on the west side of the castle, where Emerald was eager to be back in business. Although she could fly all around the castle, she resented the wards he had placed, so an opportunity to stretch her wings was welcome, Draco was sure.

He went back to his room and got into bed, still reluctant to believe he'd spend a birthday in isolation, as a beast, but denying it wouldn't get him anywhere; plus he was not completely alone – he had Mopsy, and he had Granger, even if she didn't know about his birthday.

Perhaps the day wouldn't be that bad, he thought and then he fell asleep, all worries forgotten.

* * *

Back in her room, Hermione was not sleeping. Earlier, Mopsy had come to ask whether she required anything else for the day, but the elf was obviously giddy for some reason, and Hermione had to ask - that's how she found out it was Malfoy's birthday.

It would be good manners to give him a gift, so she asked Mopsy for wool and crochet needles – not being able to buy him anything due to the wards on the castle, the only other idea she had was to take a page from Mrs. Weasley's book, and make him a sweater. Sure, it was still summer, so a sweater might not be perfectly appropriate, but the castle was pretty cold. He had fur to keep him warm, true, but a sweater couldn't hurt and besides, she had no other ideas.

Well, actually she did have an idea – but she wasn't sure Malfoy would be OK with it. Not quite over the similarities with the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Hermione figured it would be a nice touch to enlist Mopsy's help to organize a dance.

So she first enchanted the hook needles to crochet an emerald green sweater, with a silver Slytherin House symbol in center, then she called for Mopsy.

The elf looked sleepy and Hermione apologized for keeping her from her sleep, but when she mentioned her idea, Mopsy seemed quite enthusiastic, and she agreed to help. More specifically, after the piano recital that evening, Mopsy was to use her magic to cast Wingardium Leviosa on the grand piano, and move it from the music room to the ballroom, together with many of the other musical instruments, so that she could use the music spell on them to make them play by themselves, while she danced with Malfoy.

Hermione wasn't sure he'd want that, but from what Mopsy had told her, Malfoy's birthdays always had dancing, as that was the main attraction of the party – well, that, and fireworks, and to her delight, the elf informed her there were several Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks in a storeroom underground. So they decided that Mopsy would get them ready for midnight that night.

Plans made, Hermione focused on the sweater, she didn't want it to turn out sloppy, and when it was finally done, she was pleased with the result.

Now the only thing left was to think about what she'd cook for breakfast the following morning – she would give him that surprise, despite her earlier protest that she was not a housewife – and also, what she was going to wear for the dance.

She was still considering options when she fell asleep.

* * *

Draco woke up that morning and a look at the cuckoo clock above his bed told him it was quite late indeed – already 8.30 AM. He wondered why neither Mopsy nor Granger had woken him up, but it was good to not be up at first light.

When he went to have breakfast, Draco had the first surprise of the day – Granger was waiting for him in the dining room with a smile on her face, and wearing a very fetching knee length, rather casual blue dress with a pink cherry pattern.

"Happy birthday!" she said, and before he even had time to wonder how she knew about it, she walked over to him, stood on tiptoes and, to his shock, kissed his furry cheeks.

He never thought he'd ever be grateful for his fur, but at the moment it was pretty handy, as it hid his blush. And his face didn't usually redden, at least not in anything other than anger.

"What, it's just a 'bise'", she was saying, "the French do it as a greeting, but I figured it is appropriate today given the significance of the date."

It was weird for him to blush at a simple peck on the cheek, but the last time they kissed and touched, it had been in the heat of the moment, now it was…different – clearly 'premeditated'.

"Here", she was saying, pushing something soft into his paws.

It was a green sweater with a silver Slytherin symbol on it. Draco had to admit, it looked pretty good… but it was way too small for him to wear in his current form. She seemed to follow his train of thought.

"I know it's too small for you right now, and it's probably too warm for you as well – which is why I made it for later on in the autumn and winter, when you'll be human again, and I'm sure you'll find it useful."

Draco was really touched – he had never received something handmade from anyone except Mopsy and his mother (who sent him homemade sweets all the time while he was at Hogwarts). Besides, the fact that she had made it for his human form was a show of faith that they would eventually break the curse.

"Thank you, I like it", he managed to say, rather lamely, "I guess it was Mopsy who told you about my birthday."

"She did, and she also provided me with the wool and crochet needles. And she helped me with some other things for later this evening, but I'd rather we talked about it over breakfast, if that's OK with you. It's quite late, I'm starving, and I don't want my cooking to go to waste."

"I thought you weren't my wife to cook for me", he had to say, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Well, it's not only wives that cook, so stop questioning it, or I'll give your share to Mopsy instead."

Granger was blushing, and he loved it when she did that.

He sat down at the table and looked at the food on his plate. It wasn't what he was used to, but rather a full English breakfast - fried bacon, poached eggs, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, sausages and buttered toast.

Draco also noticed that on the table there was black pudding, and a mug of steaming coffee was just waiting to be drunk.

"I know it's not your typical breakfast", she was saying, "but I figured that despite being in France, we're still English, so might as well stick to traditions."

He loved how she said 'we'. She seemed anxious to hear his opinion on the food so he took a bite out of everything before declaring his verdict.

"Delicious."

She beamed at him.

"I'm glad. And I'm also glad you like the sweater, I'm afraid I didn't have a lot of options what with being isolated here in this castle, otherwise I would have bought you something more appropriate, like I always do for Harry and Ron. Then I remembered that Mrs. Weasley always makes sweaters for her children, and I figured why not?"

She was talking nervously, but she didn't need to feel that way, Draco thought. He really was very happy with both her cooking and her gift. He was even happier now, that she told him about the Weasel's mother – because it meant that Granger considered him close, perhaps not family, but still… And although the mention of Potter and Weaselbee had annoyed him a bit, Draco was very pleased to hear she had never made something for _them_.

"Anyway, given my limited options, I couldn't come up with much more, but I did have an idea that I want to run by you."

Draco realized she was still talking, so he focused on what she was saying.

"What idea?"

"A dance."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

He really hoped she wasn't suggesting he throw a dance party with people, so they could see his beast form.

"Just what I said – Mopsy told me there's a ballroom in the castle, so I want us to dance in it tonight, after dinner. Wouldn't it be nice?"

She would dance with him, in his beast form? Draco couldn't believe it, it sounded too good to be true.

"It's only been a couple of days, Granger, don't tell me you've been feeling so lonely that it made you desperate?"

He hoped he hadn't been too acid, but he had to know if she was serious.

"Don't try to act mean, I know you're more bark than bite. So do you want to dance tonight or not?"

Still bossy, no change there. And she seemed to have him figured out pretty well.

"Fine, I do."

"Lovely, but now we'd best finish breakfast and start working on the Everlasting Elixir and the potion. First we work, then we play."

As righteous as always. Still, Draco complied and didn't leave a single crumb of food on his plate – he even had two servings of pudding before he finally left the room and they headed together to the potions room.

* * *

Hermione was pleased that Malfoy had enjoyed both her food and her gift. So far the day was going according to plan.

She didn't really know why she was so intent on making his birthday great, but Hermione reasoned that it was probably because of Harry and his many horrible birthdays with the Dursleys – no one deserved to have a lousy birthday, not even Draco Malfoy.

Now it was time to focus on potion making though. They worked in silence, but it was a very cozy and pleasant atmosphere, and Hermione liked it very much. Every now and then they'd talk about what books they might look into next to find a way to break his curse permanently.

It was one of these exchanges that, inevitably, led to a small argument. Hermione was sorry she had talked about it at all, but she had been rather upset at the moment.

"I noticed you own a copy of Mudbloods and How to Spot Them by Barrett Fay – though I doubt that's going to be any help, for breaking the curse or for anything else, really."

"Granger, if you think I actually know every bloody book title in the library, you're bonkers!" He sounded exasperated. "I agree that the title is quite offensive, and if you want to burn the book, you have my permission – though I'm curious whether you're physically capable of destroying a book, _any_ book."

He had a point.

"You're right, sorry, I didn't mean to sound so petulant.", she admitted. "And unless it's a horcrux or something similarly dark, I doubt I could destroy a book – so I'll just ignore it for the rest of my stay here."

They went back to alternating silence and work with talking about books, and she enjoyed their time together so much that when Mopsy came to announce it was lunchtime, she was surprised it was so late already.

"We'll be there in a minute, Mopsy, we're almost done."

They added the final touches to the potion and then Hermione poured it from the cauldron into a jar that she then corked tightly – it was very important that it stayed airtight for the next two weeks.

Lunch was a merry affair – this time it was Mopsy who cooked, and she made all of Malfoy's favorite foods: pâté de foie gras served with mustard seeds and green onions in duck gravy, turkey breast with sausage and apricot stuffing, roast salmon and artichokes, and a multitude of other dishes.

Hermione felt rather full and kind of sleepy, and so she was glad when he offered to go together for a walk in the gardens again – the fresh air would work wonders.

The weather was perfect – sunny but with a light breeze, a temperature of about 24 Celsius degrees, and white, strange-shaped puffy clouds covered the sky. The roses smelled better and stronger than ever, and Hermione felt, once more, that she was dreaming, only this time it was a pleasant dream.

The only thing that was missing was to have her friends with her – and she realized that when she said 'friends', she included Ron. It was high time she admitted they were better suited as friends than something more - a long term relationship never would have worked, they were too different -, and she hoped that the time away from her combined with Padma Patil's company would make Ron come to the same conclusion.

She wondered when – or if – she'd find the way to break Malfoy's curse, what would happen next? Would she be able to go back to her old life, like nothing had ever happened? Definitely not! She missed her friends, her family, Crookshanks, and she was eager to go back to Hogwarts, but she was also reluctant to be separated from Malfoy.

Hermione had to admit it to herself: she _liked_ him. He was no longer the cowardly, nasty little prat who always threatened to go running to his father. He had gradually changed, and since he became a beast, he seemed nicer somehow – perhaps it was just how close she was to him that made her truly see him, all personal bias aside.

But talking about bias, wasn't it possible, Hermione wondered, that she was actually becoming very subjective when it came to Draco Malfoy? What if she wasn't thinking straight anymore? Although psychology wasn't something they studied at Hogwarts, Hermione was fascinated by it and she knew about an affliction called the Stockholm syndrome, that manifested itself in feelings of trust or affection in cases of hostage-taking by a victim towards a captor... What if she was suffering from it?

Realizing she was panicking again, and sneaking a peak at Malfoy, who seemed oblivious of her inner turmoil, she drew deep breaths and managed to calm down. Hermione knew that if a person wondered whether they had a mental illness or not it was usually a sign that they were sane.

So it just meant that she liked Draco Malfoy – end of story. Stranger things had happened, right?

* * *

Draco noticed that all throughout their walk, Granger had been very quiet. He covertly observed her, and he saw emotions play across her face. She was probably overthinking again – apparently she couldn't stop thinking and just enjoy the moment, not even in a beautiful rose garden.

He didn't really mind though, just being next to her was enough for him. He really thought that despite the little time they had spent together, Granger had come to see his true self, not the face he usually showed to his peers at Hogwarts, or to his fellow pure-bloods at Malfoy Manor.

And he also thought that she preferred his true self, which was wonderful. Now, more than ever, Draco wanted to be rid of the curse, so he could woo her while being his normal, dashing self - she wouldn't be able to resist him. He realized he was somewhat full of himself, but it was extremely hard to change that part of him, when he'd been pampered and spoiled since birth.

He knew he'd have to take advantage of being human during those few days he'd get once the potion was done. Still, it would be up to him to find a way to neither scare her away by being too aggressive, nor be too "tame" in his advances.

And he had to figure out how not to let her mother find out about Granger… the castle was big enough so that they wouldn't run into each other by mistake. His mother wouldn't want to go the library, and that's where Granger would be most of the time. As for meals, although he resented it, he'd have to ask Mopsy to take the food up to Granger's room, so that he could eat with his mother in the dining room.

He would have to spend most of the day with his mother, but he'd make sure he'd spend the nights with Granger. That thought filled him with anticipation and before he realized what was happening, he was purring loudly.

He stopped immediately, but it was too later, Granger's jaw had literally dropped.

"Did you just… purr?" she sounded quite perplexed.

"You did, didn't you?" she continued, not allowing him time to defend himself.

"I thought I heard purring from your room during the night, but it could have been my imagination. I'm glad it wasn't. But why did you stop?"

Trying not to be exasperated by her enthusiasm, he used a calm tone to answer her.

"It's an involuntary reaction, so it's not exactly up to me." He couldn't tell her the reason why he had been purring, but he could tell her a half-truth. "I was simply enjoying the walk, but then you gave me that look and the feeling passed."

"What look?"

"Oh never, mind, let's just get back to the castle, it's getting late and cold, and I want to hear you play the piano again", Draco said, in hopes of distracting her.

But she wasn't deterred.

"Would you purr again if I did… this?"

And all of a sudden she was scratching his chin, although she barely reached it. His body betrayed him and he did actually purr a bit before stopping, as his temper rose.

"Do you take me for a _pet_?!" he asked, his voice thunderous.

"No, sorry, I just wanted to see whether that'd work… curiosity and all that…" she sounded ashamed of her impulsive gesture.

"Well, curiosity killed the kneazle, and you told me you once transformed halfway into a cat, so you might want to watch it."

Draco wasn't sure he wanted her to find him pet-like adorable. That type of _affection_ was OK for the beast, but he preferred her to be on edge around him, to see him as a man. He'd see to it once he was back in human form that she remembered him 'properly'.

"I'll bear that in mind", Granger was saying. "Shall we go up to the music room then? Now that you mentioned it, I realized I will need to rest my feet before the dance so best to get the piano playing done with now, and then enjoy a long, restorative dinner."

Right… the dance… he'd almost forgotten about it. Again he regretted being in beast form. No matter, he made a vow with himself that he'd dance with Granger in human form many, many times. It was as good a foreplay as any.

"What are you playing tonight?" he asked, though the names wouldn't tell him much.

And indeed, Mozart's Ronda Alla Turca and Chopin's Grande Valse Brillante remained simple names… until they went to the music room and he heard her play them on the piano. The music was so beautiful, he was purring again in no time.

Before he went to dinner, he lowered his wards to allow Emerald back in – Draco was surprised she had already returned to him, but he figured it was his mother that asked her to push her limits so that she could get her present to him in time. And indeed, the owl presented him with both a letter and a small parcel from his mother.

In her letter, his mother gave him both good news and bad news. The bad news was that there was no sign of Rosier, it seemed like the ground had swallowed him. The good news was that she confirmed her arrival on the 19th of June, and she mentioned she could stay until the 21st of the month, after which she had to return to London. Draco knew she was involved in a number of charity causes, mostly helping the families of those who had lost someone in the Battle of Hogwarts. It was her way of trying to atone for the wrongdoings of his father, as well as for her snobbish and superior attitude which now no longer characterized her.

The parcel his mother sent contained something incredibly precious: a small vial of Felix Felicis. Draco would have used it instantly if he thought it might help him break the curse, but something told him that not even liquid luck could achieve such a feat. So he pocketed the vial, and decided that he'd use it well, when an appropriate opportunity came along.

Dinner was even more delicious than lunch – but the best part of it was that Granger had baked him a birthday cake. It wasn't anything complicated by the looks of it, just a simple chocolate cake, decorated with eighteen burning candles.

"Make a wish!" she urged him, and Draco remembered his musings about the Mirror of Erased or whatever it was called. Yes, he'd make the wish for a future with her once he was human again. With that in mind he blew the candles (and almost blew the cake away too – he had forgotten that his beast form was way more powerful than his human one) and they each had a slice.

Despite its simple appearance, the cake tasted great, and he made sure to thank … Hermione (there, he had finally called her by her first name, at least in his thoughts - it was something he had wanted to do for ages) so that she knew he appreciated her efforts. And he was very pleased she had made the effort, it meant she really cared for him.

Draco only hoped he wasn't just another charity case for her – he knew she had a thing for house elves and other oppressed creatures of the wizarding world, and he did not care to be added to that particular category. Also, he didn't want her pity – he wanted her love.

But there wasn't time to think more on that, as the dinner was over, and she left, saying she needed to get ready for the dance.

* * *

Her birthday cake had been a success, it tasted very good, if Hermione could say so herself.

She was sure Malfoy had been so pleased with it that he had forgiven her for her rash actions earlier in the garden – whatever had pushed her to actually scratch his chin?! He was not Crookshanks! But she really liked how soft his fur was, and she loved it when cats purred, it was said to have therapeutic effects.

Still, stupid of her to do something like that. She never would have touched him so casually had he been in human form, so why did his beast form seem more approachable? It was supposed to be repulsive, right? Could she have been influenced by the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, was that her problem?

Once she got back to her room, she opened the wardrobe and wondered what she should wear – a much more pressing issue than her wandering thoughts. To be consistent with the animation adaptation of the fairy tale, she should pick a yellow crinoline dress, not that there was such a thing in there. But she didn't really like yellow, so better to go with her House color for once: there was a beautiful sour cherry colored dress that she could wear, and Hermione was surprised that such an article of clothing existed in a Slytherin castle. Narcissa Malfoy must be more open minded than Hermione gave her credit for.

Better not to question the dress, but admire it: it was a floor length multi layered lace dress with ¾ sleeves and a rather provocative V-neck back design. It was perfect.

As she dressed, she imagined that by then Mopsy had already prepared the ballroom for their arrival. She hadn't been in the ballroom before, as she wanted to be surprised too – but, if she were to take the other rooms as examples, it was clear it would be lovelier than she could ever imagine.

Time had come to see it with her own eyes. She opened the door to her room, and there he was, waiting for her. Even as a beast he looked like a prince from a fairy tale – it was the way he held himself, and his beautiful gray eyes that looked at her so intensely.

She took the arm he offered and together they went down the marble staircase and then to the right, past the dining room … and there it was, the ballroom.

The most impressive part of the room was the ceiling, which was covered in a beautiful painting of angels, doves and clouds, on a background of blue sky… And hanging from the ceiling was an enormous crystal chandelier, gently showering light upon the dance-floor.

Corinthian columns lined the oval room on all sides, except for the southern wall, which, as with most of the other rooms of the castle, was made almost entirely of glass, tall narrow windows giving way to glass doors that led to a terrace. Hermione made a note to herself not to forget to take Malfoy out on that terrace exactly at midnight when Mopsy would provide them with the fireworks show. Luckily there was a grandfather clock in this room as well, and she was sure that just like the one in the library, it would chime at every quarter of an hour.

Hermione didn't have time to admire the room more, as … _Draco_ (somehow calling him Malfoy in her thoughts didn't sound right anymore) led her to the center of the dance-floor. She muttered a silent "Musica Facio" towards the instruments strategically placed between three columns next to the northern wall of the room, and then what else but the Beauty and the Beast theme song began to play.

For a… beast his size, Draco moved with incredible grace, and she was sure that in human form he would be an even more proficient dancer. They spun around the floor to the rhythm of the music, and Hermione felt like she was losing herself in the moment…

Ever since she was eleven years old and had received her Hogwarts letter, the words 'magic' and 'magical' had taken on different meaning, but still, there was no better word to describe those moments that she spent dancing with Draco – they were simply magical.

Hermione felt like she was floating on clouds, and she could feel the heat emanating from Draco's body mixing with her own body heat, and in their fluid motions they seemed to be a single entity. She had never reached this level of connection with any other being…

She didn't know how long they danced, but she never got tired. Draco was looking straight into her eyes and she returned his gaze, and it was like everything else around them had vanished - the whole world was comprised of just the two of them.

And it seemed like only too soon the clock stroke a quarter to midnight, and Hermione knew she had to stop dancing once the song was over, so that they could go out on the terrace for Draco's final surprise of the evening.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked, bewilderment in his tone, and Hermione smiled.

"Well, it's almost midnight and I thought it'd be nice to go out on the terrace for a while and admire the starlit sky".

He seemed reluctant to let her go, but then he led her out of the room, and they sat down on the marble railing.

"Look, fireflies", she exclaimed happily, noticing little dancing lights close to the ground.

"Yes, fireflies are a common occurrence around this time of year – the garden is filled with them".

One moment they were looking at the fireflies, and the next there were fireworks lighting up the sky, and not just Draco, but Hermione, too, gasped in delight. Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks were really a sight to see.

"Did you put Mopsy up to this?" he asked.

"We conspired, actually – I understand it is common practice to have a fireworks display on your birthdays", she said with a smile.

"I appreciate it, I admit I wasn't expecting to have much of a birthday this year – in fact, I had forgotten all about it before Mopsy reminded me".

"That is one loyal house elf you have there, and I guess you realize it since you freed her and pay her for her services", Hermione said warmly. She was really pleased that Draco understood that house elves had rights too.

"Mopsy didn't really want to be freed, but she said that as long as she could continue working for me, she didn't really care whether she got paid or not. However, while I appreciate her efforts and will make sure to thank her for everything tomorrow, now I'd rather talk to you about something else".

His tone was quite serious, and she wondered what could have brought this on. He was supposed to be light-hearted after the dinner and the dance.

"Of course, what is it?" she asked, quite curious to see what was on his mind.

"Are you happy here with me?"

That took her by surprise. Wow, heavy subject indeed, and wasn't it too soon to ask something like that? But Hermione seriously considered his question and realized that the past couple of days had felt like much longer, but not because they had been unpleasant, but because she had lived them more intensely than pretty much all the rest of her life, with the notable exception of last year, when she hunted horcruxes and fought against Death Eaters.

So the answer to his question was obvious, although she hadn't consciously realized it until he asked.

"Yes".

She could see his relief at her affirmative answer.

But then a thought crossed her mind.

"What is it?" he asked.

"If I could only see my parents and my friends, just for a moment – I worry about them and I do miss them too".

He frowned for a moment, but then his face lit up.

"There is a way. There is a mirror, it will show you anything… anything you wish to see".

Unbelievable, Hermione thought, just like in the fairy tale! The similarities were beginning to be eerie, she had to get to the bottom of it… eventually. At the moment, Hermione was too thrilled to hear about the mirror, and the possibility of seeing her family and friends... Was it something like the Mirror of Erised, only that it showed whomever a person really wanted to see instead of one's heart's desire?

"Wonderful! Where is this mirror, can I use it now?" she eagerly asked.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I _hope_ the mirror is still intact – if I remember correctly, it was stored in one of the western towers, and I'm afraid I… well, let's just say that the room is a mess at the moment. Let me ask Mopsy to retrieve the mirror in the morning".

She was about to protest, and ask for the mirror that very instant, but he cut her off before she could get one word out of her mouth.

"Even if you had the mirror now, your family and friends will be most likely sleeping at this time, so it would be much better to check on them tomorrow, don't you think?"

True enough, Hermione thought.

"You're right, just please don't forget to ask Mopsy to retrieve the mirror as soon as you can, OK?"

"Of course."

She wondered whether she was courageous enough to ask him her question – but she was a Gryffindor, so she took a deep breath and went for it.

"Are _you_ happy?"

But then, realizing he was still in beast form, she hastened to rectify her question.

"I mean, did you enjoy your birthday?"

"Well, I would have been happier if I were human for my birthday, but while Rosier certainly did me no favors by cursing me, he did provide me with the most unique birthday I've had so far".

Hermione zeroed in on to the most vital piece of information in his statement, that she was sure he hadn't realized he'd let out.

"So it was Rosier who cursed you? Surely not Evan Rosier - he died in the first Wizarding War, but the other one… the one who escaped after the Battle of Hogwarts…"

"Yes, he was the one who cursed me".

"Why was that? Because you defected in the final battle?" she asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Not only because of that. My mother thinks he felt obliged to punish the Malfoys, seeing as our family and his are related, and we turned traitor".

So the Malfoy family and the Rosier family had common roots… Hermione wasn't that surprised, most pure blooded families were related, as there weren't that many to begin with.

Still, this was an interesting piece of information. While searching for a way to break Draco's curse, Hermione had stumbled upon a number of books related to his family tree, but she hadn't given them a second thought. Now she wondered whether she shouldn't be looking into this Rosier family connection – perhaps they were the very source of the muggle fairy tale about the curse of the beast, and then the way to break the curse might be in one of the family books. Rosier had to have found out about the curse from somewhere...

She was going through library books as it was, why not focus on finding information about the fairy tale and about the Rosier family at the same time as looking for curse breaking methods? She made a mental note to herself to start doing that the very next morning… she would have a busy morning.

Now though, she was getting sleepy.

"What you told me gave me a couple of ideas that are worth investigating – first thing tomorrow. Seeing as it's past midnight, your birthday is officially over, so I hope you don't mind if I go to bed", she said, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

"I don't mind, on one condition".

* * *

Dancing with Hermione had been an otherworldly experience for Draco. To feel her body gliding over the dance floor, perfectly synchronized with his, was to imagine a different sort of 'dance' and how well they'd fit together in _that_ way.

And he almost let despair take him again, thinking of how his beast form was keeping him from what he wanted the most at the moment. Still, an idea was growing inside his mind – how to make the best of the current circumstances.

So when Hermione mentioned she wanted to go to bed, he took the chance she provided.

"What condition might that be?" she was asking, and he boldly told her.

"You may go to bed only if it is _my_ bed."

He let that sink in for a second, but as outrage filled her face, he talked, to make himself clear.

"Granger, I'm not proposing anything indecent here, I'm merely suggesting that you literally sleep with me". Draco wanted to see how she'd take that suggestion.

"Oh, and pray tell, how is _that_ any less indecent?" she was saying, in full 'proper, goody two shoes' Hermione Granger mode. But he could see she was not as alarmed as she had been at first.

"Besides, propriety aside, _why_ on earth would I do that? Because you asked me to?!" Not exactly alarmed, but she was still quite outraged, Draco noticed.

"Well, I can tell that you really miss your cat _and_ ", he continued pointedly, "by that I do NOT mean you should use me as a pet substitute, merely that I think you'll feel less homesick that way… or didn't Bentlegs sleep in your bed at night?" he asked in an innocent voice.

"It's Crookshanks, not Bentlegs, thank you very much, and although yes, he did sleep in my bed, I hardly think sleeping next to you would make me miss him any less…"

But she didn't sound quite so sure now, and Draco felt he stood a chance of winning the argument.

"My birthday may have passed, but this would make a really nice present", he added hopefully.

"Really?" she was still not convinced. "I don't see what's in it for you".

Draco wondered what he could say to make her accept. Telling her he just wanted to feel her near at all times probably wouldn't go very well, even if it was the truth.

Saying that he missed having someone next to him in bed during the night would probably only annoy her more, and it wasn't even true: Draco had never slept through the night with anyone - once he was done with them, they were not invited to linger. And perhaps that made him a prat, but then again, all those girls had known perfectly well what his deal was, and they still came to him of their own free will.

Anyway, the clock was ticking and Hermione was still looking at him expectantly, waiting to hear his reasons. He decided to play on her emotions – not the most orthodox manner of doing things, but he was Slytherin, and at the moment if emotional blackmail would get him what he wanted, he was all for it.

He played the… well, not the damsel in distress, but more like the prince in distress…?

"Look, Granger, don't make me say it – I've been feeling really lonely for the past month, all but alone here in this big castle, and I have nightmares. Having someone next to me might help me get through the night peacefully, so what do you say?"

He waited, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. What _would_ she say?

Draco could tell she was thinking hard, but what she was thinking, he didn't know… perhaps there was still time to drink a drop of Felix Felicis? But no, the question was already out in the open, and Hermione's set expression meant she was coming to a conclusion.

"All right, then". _YES!_ Draco thought, exuberant inside but maintaining a cool exterior. "But we _never_ speak of it to other people, and if you try anything funny, anything at all, you may be sure you'll be hexed in the worst possible way, are we clear?"

"Crystal", he replied, his voice even, betraying nothing of his happiness. "Though I have to wonder how you're going to do that given the fact that you've already taken the Unbreakable Vow not to harm me."

Her expression was priceless. Apparently Hermione had forgotten all about how he coerced her into helping him, which suited him just fine, as it meant that now she was helping out willingly.

"Oh… well, I'll just come up with a hex that won't exactly harm you, but will still make you wish you'd never crossed me."

 _That_ he could believe.

"I'll go down to my room then to … to change and then I'll be right over", she continued, and Draco noticed her voice was trembling.

Was she nervous at the thought of sharing a bed with him? Good, because despite his happiness, so was he.

"I'll be waiting for you", he said, and disapparated before she could change her mind.


	9. The sleepover and the confessions

**A/N:** I know that was a bit of a cliffhanger I left you with at the end of the last chapter, but had I continued it, the word count would have probably exceeded 10.000, and that's a tad much :D

The saga continues though. And I've decided to try and break it into smaller chapters that I can post faster, rather than have very long ones that I can't finish as quickly.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, following the story and adding it to favorites. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 8 The sleepover, confessions and the beginning of a beautiful friendship**

Hermione found herself alone on the terrace, and she was still pretty shocked by Draco's proposal and her acceptance.

Seriously, what was wrong with her? Had he been in human form, no way would she have ever consented to sharing his bed, even if it was purely platonic. His beast form was the root of all problems, and Hermione renewed her vow to find a way to rid him of the curse as soon as possible.

How had she fallen for his obvious ploy? Nightmares, indeed! Wasn't he purring in his sleep just the other night? she thought furiously.

But perhaps _Malfoy_ really did have nightmares(she was too annoyed to address him by his given name, even in her mind… and with a pang of guilt, she realized it was the same thing she did with Ron – she always called him _Ronald_ when he made her mad). Hermione was a pretty deep sleeper, once she fell asleep, she didn't wake easily, so perhaps he had been screaming in his sleep and she just hadn't heard him. It was possible. _But not probable_ , her reason whispered.

Either way, what was done, was done – it was too late to take it back now. She'd see how this one night unfolded, then she'd act accordingly.

With that thought, she apparated in front of her room, then entered and wondered what she should wear. For the past nights, she had been sleeping in a knee length, short sleeved pale blue silk nightgown, which was quite decent, but for the occasion she figured pajamas would be more appropriate – Hermione would feel better if she had pants on.

After thoroughly looking through the wardrobe, she sighed in frustration. Not one pajama – just nightgowns. She did find one that was full length, and it was obviously the best choice: it was made of white cotton and it had a vintage feel to it, what with its square neck and lace ribbons applied on the collar and the end of the gown's long sleeves. After taking a quick shower, she put the nightgown on, brushed her teeth rigorously and even tried brushing her hair into submission (with no visible result).

Then she got out of her room and knocked on his.

"Come in!"

Hermione entered the room, and although she closed the door behind her, she didn't leave its side.

She looked around the room – it was exactly like hers, only the color theme was of very light teal, and the furniture was black.

Draco was already in bed, a cotton sheet covering him up to his chest, but she could see he was wearing silk pajamas – at least he wasn't naked, or part naked. Hermione figured he knew better than to try something like that, she would have shaved him head to toe in an instant!

She didn't really know what to say so she just walked to the bed.

"Which side do you want?" he asked her, and Hermione almost laughed at how he was trying to play the gentleman after tricking her into accepting to share his bed.

"Whichever you want, this is, after all, your room", she replied in a stiff tone, so that there was no trembling in her voice.

She watched him scoot over to the right side – having occupied the center of the bed up until then – and pat the now empty left side for her to take.

"There", he was saying, "I warmed it up for you."

She got in and was glad that despite Draco's size in beast form, there was still room for her, so they didn't have to touch. However, Hermione could feel his residual heat, and combined with an ocean like scent that must have come from his shower gel or shampoo or something similar, it was quite unsettling. She turned over and presented him with her back, closed her eyes and whispered a good night.

He chanted an extinguishing charm so that the room was plunged into darkness, and then wished her a good night in return.

And then there was silence.

* * *

Hermione was a vision of loveliness when she entered his room, Draco thought.

Her nightgown was deceptively innocent, because despite being a long, white, vintage dress, it was also semitransparent and with the enhanced vision that his beast form provided, he could see her shape outlined clearly in the candle light.

And she had divine shapes – although not very tall, she was slim, but not too slim to not have curves in all the right places, and Draco suddenly realized he might have gotten more than he bargained for. How was he ever going to sleep with her so close by? Close enough to smell, close enough to feel her body heat, close enough to touch, if he dared?

As she approached the bed, he could clearly see Hermione was trying to put on a brave face, but she was too nervous to say anything, so he was the one who had to provide conversation – if he could manage it.

He asked the first thing that came to his mind, but her reply was pretty neutral, and then she just got into the bed, turned her back to him and wished him a good night. _Really_? Draco thought. He was not quite content with that, but he put out the lights in the room and wished her a good night too, all the while thinking what he could say to get over the awkwardness.

Had he ruined everything by asking her to sleep in his bed? He had to fix this somehow, and the only way he knew how to do that was by talking to her as they normally did throughout the day.

"Granger, you're stiffer than someone who's been petrified – keep that up and tomorrow all your muscles will ache something fierce. Why don't you just relax? I've had enough food today to get me through a week, so you may rest assured, I won't bite." _No matter how tempting it is to do so_ , he thought.

Let's see what she had to say to that – he had to get a reaction out of her.

"I know you won't, not unless you'd like to get a complete shave next", she replied acidly, but he didn't fear her threats, he knew they were empty… probably.

"No, thanks, I think I'll keep my fur on until we figure out a way to get rid of it for good."

"Oh, so you changed your mind about taking that mixture we prepared and turning back into a human in two weeks' time?"

Right, there was that.

"That's different from one of _your_ shaves. I'd take that mixture every day if it were possible, only it's not", he said with a sigh.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way – like I was saying earlier, I found something worth investigating, if I could only locate the information in one of the books in the library…"

Yes, she had mentioned that, and Draco was curious what it was all about.

"What do you want to investigate?"

She didn't say anything for a long time, before she finally replied.

"I may have read about your type of curse somewhere else", she said.

"You did?" Draco felt a rush of hope at the news. "Where did you read about it? And was there any mention of how to break the curse?"

Again she hesitated before answering.

"Well, it was in a muggle book actually, and there was a 'cure' mentioned, though it doesn't really sound veridic to me."

"Oh…" A muggle book? He was disappointed again – there was no way muggles would know a way to break a curse such as his, when magic books provided no answer.

"And you really think it's worth looking into it?" he asked, wondering why she bothered at all with such a poor lead.

"I do. I know that being a pureblooded wizard you don't think highly of muggles…"

He wanted to defend himself, but she stopped him before he could speak, and perhaps it was better that way, because Draco didn't know what he would have said in his defense anyway.

"But being muggle born, I know that muggles can surprise you, and I also think that when all else fails, one must try even the improbable."

"You're right", Draco admitted. "Sorry – by now I should know better than to question your motives and reasoning, it's just that it's really hard for me to live like this", he said, frustrated.

And then, miracle of miracles, she turned to face him, and ran her fingers through the fur on the side of his face, in what could only be a caress.

"I know it must be hard, but don't worry, we'll figure it out, OK?"

He grunted an agreement, then, wondering whether it'd work, he turned towards her and placed one of his arms over her, gathering her closer by just an inch, not wanting to push his luck.

But apparently Felix Felicis did its job even when it was just close by (in this case, in the top drawer of the nightstand next to the bed), because Hermione did not protest. On the contrary, she gave a little sigh of contentment and scooted a little closer to him, and Draco could feel himself starting to purr.

It was bliss to have her in his arms, in his bed, even if that was as far as it could go for the moment – a week ago he never would have dreamed such a thing would be possible.

And although he wanted to stay awake all through the night just to feel her close, he felt tiredness take over him and in a minute he was sound asleep.

* * *

Hermione woke up very confused by how warm she was feeling, as she usually felt quite chilled in the morning due to the drafty rooms of the castle. She didn't remember falling asleep…

And then the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. How she had felt incredibly awkward sharing Draco's bed, how he had somehow made her feel at ease and, inexplicably, she had ended up wanting to comfort him – she had actually caressed him! It had been worth doing it just to hear his purr in the otherwise silent room, but still!

Also, when he'd put his arm around her, what had she done? She had come closer to him, instead of pulling away. Unacceptable behavior on her part!

Hermione opened her eyes and was shocked to see that sometime during the night, she had placed her hand on his chest, and they were now basically hugging, cuddling... Well, it felt really nice, she had to admit, but that was completely beside the point.

Careful not to wake him, Hermione extracted her hand and tried to shimmy from under Draco's arm - it was easier said than done. Eventually she succeeded, and was relieved that she hadn't woken him up with her movements.

She silently walked out of his room and into hers, trying to clear her thoughts in the shower. She had slept soundly through the night and felt quite rested, but it was probably best not to repeat the experience. Where would it lead? Was she interested in Draco Malfoy romantically? Was she ready to face an answer to that question?

Not yet. She had lots of things to do that morning – the most important being her research into the Rosier family and what they might or might not know about curses that turned people into beasts.

So she quickly got out of the bathroom, dressed in a pink princess style dress that looked like it would allow her to move with relative ease, and then descended one floor to the dining room.

* * *

Draco woke up to feel Hermione in his arms, but to his dismay she was obviously trying to extract herself from his embrace. He didn't want to push his luck, so he played dead, letting her exit the room. He had slept really well, so Draco hoped she'd accept sleeping in his bed from that moment on.

In any case, it was a discussion for later on, perhaps at lunch or dinner. Now, Draco had to find out whether that enchanted mirror was still in one piece, or shattered by him when he was raging for being turned back into the Beast.

"Mopsy!" he called.

"Master called?" the elf asked as squeakily as ever, as she entered his room.

"Yes. I want to thank you for your efforts yesterday – Hermione told me you helped her out with organizing the music in the ballroom and the fireworks".

Apparently house elves could not only be ironic, but blush too – Mopsy's face was looking decidedly red.

"Master doesn't have to thank Mopsy. Mopsy only did her duty".

"Well, thanks anyway. And I also want to ask you to go to the western tower that I trashed the other day and find that enchanted mirror that has been in our family for generations – I think it belonged to the Rosiers at some point, do you know what I'm talking about?" he asked the elf.

"Yes, Master. Mopsy has already cleaned the western tower and placed the mirror in a safe place".

"Great, go get it for me."

The elf left, and after Draco showered and dressed, he found that Mopsy was back, mirror in hand.

He took the mirror from her and then went down to have breakfast – Hermione was surely on her way there as well.

They met on the marble staircase, and Hermione greeted him with a shy 'good morning'.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well last night?" he asked in his best seductive drawl, though it wasn't easy to pull it off what with his gruff beast voice.

"Quite well, thank you."

She didn't seem to be in a chatty mood, but Draco wasn't going to let her off that easily.

"I slept better than I have in ages."

No comment from her. Hmm… Okay, time to appeal to her emotions again, it worked wonders last time he tried it.

"So I wanted to thank you, because you had a big say in my sleeping so well."

"Oh… you're welcome…"

That didn't quite do the trick, Draco noticed. No problem, he had more where that came from.

"And since we're on the gratitude topic, there's something else that I've been wanting for ages to thank you for… your testimony at my mother's trial and mine".

"It was the right thing to do."

"Was it? After the horrible way I treated you all those years at Hogwarts? A lesser person would have refused to be a witness, or if they did come to the trial as a witness, they would have made sure I didn't leave free, with just a warning".

Draco noticed she was drawing a big breath, so he knew he'd succeeded in finally making her really talk to him, as opposed to short, mechanical answers.

"Like I said, I did what my conscience told me to do – besides, I think you are too harsh on yourself. You were, indeed, the main reason for most of my unpleasant memories of Hogwarts, which otherwise I have mostly very happy memories of, but we were younger, it was all before the Second Wizarding War, and since then you've changed… we _all_ have. Don't think I didn't notice the changes in you in the last year – I pay attention to details, and also please remember that Harry is my best friend and he told me things, for instance about that night in the Astronomy Tower…"

Draco felt a lump in his throat…

"I know that Voldemort was threatening to kill you and your family if you didn't become a Death Eater and try to kill Dumbledore, but the former headmaster himself said that your attempts were feeble at best, like your heart wasn't really in it… "

"And although being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange was the most excruciating experience of my life, I know there wasn't anything you could have done to stop it – it wasn't only your life on the line back then at Malfoy Manor, your parents would have suffered too if you interfered with Voldemort's interests, so… I forgive you. I hoped that much was clear once I testified at your trial."

She… _forgave_ him? Draco couldn't believe his ears. He thought her testifying at his trial was just her being righteous – hearing her say those three words, ' _I forgive you_ ' meant more to him than she could possibly know.

"I'm not saying you're completely innocent here – let's not forget the damage the Death Eaters did when you got them into Hogwarts through the very ingenious use of the Vanishing Cabinets. Bill Weasley is just one example – he was attacked by Fenrir Grayback and was left quite scarred. What I am trying to say is that there are better ways to atone for your sins than constantly putting yourself down. Come back to Hogwarts for the final year, finish your magical education, then do something that will help people or that will do some good in the world."

She finally stopped, her chest heaving, and Draco could tell it had taken a lot of courage for her to say all that.

"So first you only answer in curt lines, and now you unleash all that onto me. Wow", he managed to say with a ghost of his usual irony, still amazed by everything Hermione had said.

"I am really grateful for your forgiveness, and I do intend to return to Hogwarts and then 'do some good in the world', like you so poetically phrased it, but first we need to break this curse – last time I checked, they only allowed humans to attend."

"Wrong again – Professor Dumbledore knew that Professor Lupin was a werewolf back when he was a student, and not only did the headmaster allow him to attend Hogwarts, but he also made sure that he had a safe place to hide in during the full moon. Then there's Hagrid, who is half giant, and he too was allowed to attend school, although he was wrongfully expelled during his third year."

"Yes, Granger, but those are not very relevant examples – Lupin only turned during the full moon, for the rest of the time he looked normal, and Hagrid still looks somewhat human, despite his size and… wildness. I, on the other hand, look like a monster full time, in case you haven't noticed… or maybe this is your way of telling me you've given up on finding a way to break the curse…?"

"Of course I haven't given up, quite the contrary, I have new leads, I'm sure I told you that last night. And all I'm saying is that Headmistress McGonagall will surely accept you back at Hogwarts, regardless of whether you've returned to your human form by then or not. And if by then you're still in beast form, rest assured that I will continue trying to find a way to break the curse – I'll have the Hogwarts library at my disposal."

There it was, she had just stated she wasn't going to go back to having no contact with him once she left the castle. Draco couldn't have been happier.

* * *

Hermione was quite flustered at having said all that stuff to Draco – but she figured it was high time he knew how she felt. She had forgiven him, though she hadn't forgotten, and she intended to make sure he atoned for his formerly… well, beastly self. She smothered a giggle when she realized Draco Malfoy had been much more of a beast when he was human during those first years at Hogwarts, than he was now, when he was all fur and fangs and claws. _Finally the flesh reflects the madness within_ , huh, she thought, remembering Professor Lupin's words to Sirius Black.

"Uhm… well, since it seems to be a morning of confessions, let me also say that although I was rather mean to you at Hogwarts, I didn't really think half the things I said – actually, I didn't really think almost anything of what I said. I just said and did whatever was consistent with people's expectations of me. Truth be told, I actually admired you for being so good with magic despite having muggles for parents – I was quite jealous that you were always ahead of me in classes."

Blushing seemed to be an everyday occurrence for Hermione since she came to the castle, so she wasn't bothered too much by the pesky involuntary reaction.

"Thank you for telling me that, and I'm glad to hear of your admiration… sure would have been nicer to hear it back then, at Hogwarts, but better late than never, I always say", Hermione admitted graciously.

"So does that mean we're friends now?" he was asking.

Friends, the two of them? It didn't seem possible and yet there it was.

"I guess so….", she replied, but even she could hear the uncertainty in her voice – so surely Draco could hear it as well. If he did, he gave no sign of it.

"Good, then you must call me Draco, and I'll call you Hermione, if you're OK with it?"

Merlin's beard, Hermione thought, it was going to take a while for her to get used to calling him that out loud, even though she was already doing it in her mind.

"Yes, it's fine", she agreed.

"Perfect. Then, _Hermione_ , I suggest we go get breakfast, before it gets cold and Mopsy will have to reheat or redo everything."


	10. The mirror and the arrival

**A/N:** It's finally time to see what Harry, Ron and the rest of them are up to – but only briefly, because they're not the main characters of the story.

This chapter turned out a bit longer than initially planned, but where's the surprise in that, right? I'm just glad I managed to finish it and post it today.

Look forward to Draco's second transformation, it's going to be nice to have him human for a chapter or two (maybe even three if I feel generous :D).

Thanks for the reviews, follows and for adding the story to favorites!

Enjoy the read!

* * *

 **Chapter 9 The mirror and the arrival**

Breakfast went by relatively fast – Hermione thought that both she and Draco focused on their food, so as not to have to talk to each other for a while. In retrospect, their confessions had been sort of … embarrassing somehow, and agreeing to call each other by their given names was also a source of discomfort.

They headed to the library in silence, and Hermione started browsing the bookshelves for books on the Malfoy and Rosier families. Half an hour flew by and she didn't find anything interesting. She decided to ask Draco.

She turned around and found him looking at her.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing, it's just that you look nice, pink suits you…"

There was that blush again, Hermione thought. But he was not being completely truthful with her, she could feel it.

"Thanks, but I don't think that's it. What are you hiding?"

"I'm not exactly hiding anything, I was wondering about what has you so distracted that you didn't ask me about _this_ first thing this morning", he said, and he pulled out a small compact mirror from his coat pocket.

"The mirror!" she exclaimed. How could she have forgotten about it?

Hermione had expected it to be a hand held pocket mirror, but then again, she was biased from the fairy tale. _This is reality_ , she told herself, _stop thinking about that story!_

"So how does it work, do I just speak out loud the name of the person I want to see?"

"Pretty much, but you have to have your wand in hand when you speak it."

"Can I do it now?" Hermione was anxious to see what her friends were up to, she hoped they were all OK and not worrying sick about her.

"By all means, if it'll get your mind off your worries for your friends, and back to focusing on finding a way to break my curse."

"How very selfish of you", she said, but the reply wasn't exactly biting. More like… teasing.

"OK, then", wand in one hand and the mirror in another, Hermione said very clearly, "Show me my parents".

The mirror came to life and she saw her parents: they were in their living room, Crookshanks curled on the sofa between them. Her parents were looking through photo albums, probably still remembering all those memories they had of her. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, they were laughing, and she felt happy too, knowing they were OK. Time to move on.

"Show me Harry Potter", Hermione said.

The mirror came to life once more and inside it she could see Harry – he was walking with Ginny, hand in hand, and they seemed to be whispering, heads close together. No sound came out of the mirror though. They seemed to be walking in a garden – probably still touring castles, which was a great relief. They were clearly more than OK, so feeling like she was intruding on their privacy, Hermione felt it was time to change the scene.

"Show me Ron Weasley."

And sure enough, there was Ron, walking in the same garden as Harry and Ginny – only he was in the company of Padma Patil. They weren't holding hands, but they walked pretty close to each other, Padma's arm brushing against Ron's every now and then. The mood felt quite intimate, Hermione noticed. They were talking animatedly, Ron was all smiles, not that Padma seemed any less cheerful, and she wandered what they were saying… Interesting that Parvati was nowhere in sight, she was probably with Bill and Fleur, a fifth wheel of sorts, poor girl.

But was it any of her business? They were clearly fine too, so it was time to leave them to it.

"How do I make it stop showing images?" Hermione asked.

"Use Nox."

She did, and the image disappeared – the mirror, once more, showed only her face.

Trying to seem nonchalant about what she had just seen, she decided to focus on the magic of the mirror – it was, after all, a fascinating object.

"This is more like a pensieve than the Mirror of Erised… perhaps someone combined the magic of those two objects in order to obtain this mirror. Initially I thought it was like the mirror Harry had from Sirius – there were two of them actually, and they could be used to communicate through them. On the other hand, while this mirror allows one to see anyone they want, it doesn't transmit sound - only image, so it's clearly not a communication device."

"I only know it's been in my family for generations, I have no idea how it works", Draco replied, and Hermione wanted to kick him for his lack of curiosity. His was one of the oldest wizarding families, and there were probably dozens of equally fascinating objects throughout the castle, and he didn't seem the least bit curious about them.

"In any case", she said, making a real effort to not let her voice betray her annoyance, "now that I know they're all OK, I won't be asking you for the mirror again. It's a pretty invasive object, you should lock it up and never use it, unless there's an emergency of sorts", she said, wondering whether he'd agree to do so.

"Of course it's an invasive object if it's in _my_ family, we're Slytherins, remember?" he said, but she thought he was teasing, not really talking seriously.

"And I never used it before anyway – there were moments when I missed my mother and wanted to see her, but I, too, felt like I would be intruding, so I never did."

"Were you never tempted to use it to see your dad in Azkaban?" Hermione added in a careful voice.

She knew that was a touchy subject, but she really wanted to know how Draco felt about his father… Lucius Malfoy was never going to win the best father award, but he was still family for Draco… it was a very complicated situation.

"I was… still am tempted to check on my father… but I'm also afraid."

Seeing this vulnerable part of Draco made Hermione's heart ache.

"I could do it for you, you know."

"You'd really do that for me?"

"Of course, _Draco_ , we're friends, right?" she forced his name out of her lips.

"Well, had I known having you for a friend would yield immediate benefits, I would have befriended you long ago."

He was trying to lighten up the conversation, so she played along.

"At least you wouldn't have asked me to check your homework every single day. Honestly now, Harry and Ron would have obtained a lot more Outstanding O.W.L.s had they not emotionally blackmailed me into going over their homework."

"Incidentally, how did you fare on your O.W.L.s?" Draco asked her.

"Oh, comparing grades, are we?" she teased. "Let's see then... I did OK – ten Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations. What about you?" Hermione asked, now very curious.

"That's more than OK, and you know it. I didn't do too bad either, nine Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations – see, I didn't take on as many subjects as you did, I was quite satisfied with the two mandatory electives and one more subject that my parents thought would be useful at some point. What subject did you get an Exceeds Expectations on?"

Hermione didn't really want to admit it, but they were friends now, plus she loathed dishonesty.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts. What about you?"

"Care of Magical Creatures, what else? With Hagrid for a teacher, it was to be expected".

"There you go again – blaming others and talking like that about a professor, no less!" Hermione chided him. "If we're to be completely truthful, I wasn't very happy with Hagrid's teaching methods either, but _I_ got an Outstanding in Care of Magical Creatures, so you see, you could have done it too."

"Rub it in my face, why don't you, _Granger_."

"I thought we were on first name basis, _Malfoy_?" she retorted.

They looked at each other and then burst into laughter at the same time.

"It's good that despite our new friendship we can still have these delightful little arguments", Draco said, and Hermione couldn't have agreed more. "And don't think I didn't see what you did there, Hermione – you were trying to distract me from thinking about my father."

"That was my intention, yes", Hermione admitted.

"You needn't have done so – my relationship with my father is complicated at the moment, but I would like to see him at some point, even if it is just through the mirror, so when I'm ready to do that, I'll let you know and you can look at him for me, how about it?"

"Sounds about right", Hermione agreed.

"So anyway, how come you, of all people, failed to get an Outstanding on Defense Against the Dark Arts? You were even in that Dumbledore's Army group, weren't you?"

He seemed genuinely curious, so she told him as a sign of her faith in him.

"I pretty much founded Dumbledore's army, but unfortunately I had the same problem during the O.W.L. exam that I had in Professor Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts exam in third year - defeating a Boggart."

"Really? Interesting! What did it turn into? Someone taking your place as top of the year?" he seemed amused, but for Hermione it wasn't really funny.

"Something like that. My fear is failure, and I probably still haven't gotten over it, which is why I'm so determined to find a way to break your curse."

"Admirable sentiments. I had something of a problem with my Boggart too - only in my case, it changed from third year to the fifth.

Hermione made a note to self to ask him sometime what his third year Boggart had been.

"During the O.W.L. exam the Boggart changed into Voldemort, telling me he had killed my parents, killed my colleagues...killed everyone, and that I was next. " Draco continued. "That wasn't even remotely funny, so it was an effort to picture him in a way that would cause laughter, but I managed. I pictured his lips falling while he talked... his ears, his hands and arms, his legs, until he was nothing more than a pile of mismatched pieces, his eyes darting around wildly, clearly disbelieving what he had been reduced to."

"Well done", Hermione said, impressed. "However, let's get back to work now, we wasted enough time talking, and we really need to break your curse as soon as possible, wouldn't you say?" Hermione asked.

"It wasn't wasted time, but fine, let's continue the research. Oh, you never did tell me what you were so distracted about and what you were looking for in all those shelves. Perhaps I can help – it is my castle, after all".

"Could you sound any more smug, Draco?" Hermione teased, but she kind of liked that part of him. "If you must know, I was looking for a book about the Rosier family."

"Whatever for?" he sounded completely puzzled.

"It's part of my new theory – I think an ancestor of Rosier's came up with the curse that transformed you into a beast, so I'm thinking I might find information about the curse and the way to reverse it in one of the family books."

She let it sink in.

"That's quite a theory you have there – I wonder why _I_ didn't think of it before."

"Well, you're not the brightest wizard of our age, are you now?" she teased.

"Nice, and you were saying I was smug?"

"Just taking a page out of your book", Hermione replied. She discovered she liked teasing him, and he seemed to enjoy it too.

"In any case, if you're looking for information about family trees and similar stuff, then you have to look in this section", he said and led her to a part of the library she hadn't really looked in before. "And here's the biggest book on the Malfoy family – if there is information about the Rosiers anywhere in this library, you'll find it in here. But you won't be able to read it unless you know French – it's written in that language."

Hermione took the tome from him, and read the title – "Une histoire complète de la famille Malfoi" by Altair Malfoi.

"That won't be a problem, as I'm fluent in French", she said in a matter-of-fact manner.

She thought she heard him mutter something along the lines of " _should have known_ ", but ignored it.

"This Altair Malfoi, is he a French relative or something?"

"Yes, though don't ask me exactly how I am related to him – he's an ancestor who was also a historian. My family has French roots, as you might have guessed. Malfoi with an 'i' at the end is the French version of our name, but once we settled in the UK, we changed it to Malfoy with a 'y'."

Hermione sat down with the tome, and started reading. Time flew by, but unfortunately she didn't find anything interesting about the Rosier family, nor about any curses they may have come up with.

She barely paid attention to lunch, eating mechanically, and not even the afternoon walk in the garden managed to help her relax and forget for a while about the nagging thought that no matter what other remedies she might look for, the answer was in finding the source of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.

* * *

Draco didn't like to see Hermione so preoccupied – he, too, wanted to find a way to break the curse, and with more cause than Hermione… but that didn't mean she had to think of a solution and nothing else, poring over books at all times.

The only moment when she relaxed was during the piano recital before dinner. Actually, even then she was focused on playing, so not exactly relaxed, but at least this was a pleasant activity for her, much more than continuous research with very unsatisfying results.

At dinner he finally breached the subject of the sleeping arrangements.

"So, do you plan on joining me in bed tonight?" he asked and when she made a face, he realized he hadn't phrased that right.

"You know what I mean, so don't give me that look", he said warily.

"I know, but I still don't think it's a good idea."

"Look, today you did more intense research than I've seen anyone do – I kind of want to make sure you get a good night's sleep before you start again in the morning". He waited anxiously for her answer.

She considered for a long while, before she sighed and finally replied.

"You know what? I'm too tired to argue why I shouldn't… so sure, why not?"

"Splendid", Draco said, "then there's one more thing I want you to do." He had to get her to dial down her intensity when it came to research, it wouldn't do to have her overwork and become exhausted and moody.

"I wouldn't test my limits if I were you, but try and see what happens".

She sounded mildly pissed off, to put it simply, but Draco preferred her annoyed than apathetic.

"I want you to take it a bit easier with your research starting tomorrow – and no, don't protest, because if you faint from exhaustion it'll defeat the purpose."

"All right. I know I've been a bit on edge today. It's just that once I am presented with a problem, I usually find a solution quickly – the idea that I might fail in finding a way to break your curse for weeks or months even is taking its toll on my morale. Plus I'm a bit fixated on finding whether the Rosier family did come up with the curse or they just picked it up from somewhere else, though that's highly unlikely, I've never come across anything like it in any book I've read so far."

"You do realize though that getting sick with worry won't get you anywhere though, right?" Draco asked, wanting to make sure she understood she needed to pace herself.

"Merlin, you're worse than Harry and Ron – they usually just let me be when it comes to studying or researching, or anything related to books, really".

"Some friends they are", Draco muttered, all of a sudden irked, as jealousy ate at him.

"Hey, they're my best friends, so try not to pick on them".

Draco grunted an assent, but he noticed Hermione was smiling. She probably found his annoyance at Potter and the Weasel funny. Still, she called Weaselbee _her best friend_ , so that was encouraging.

They finished their meal in silence, but Draco was glad that the mood was peaceful, instead of heavy, loaded, like it was before.

Although both of them got more reading done after dinner, Draco was pleased that Hermione was much calmer now – she turned the pages slower, she didn't fidget, all good signs. But he was still the first to retire for the evening.

"Don't stay long, I'll be waiting", he said before leaving the library and heading to his bedroom.

And indeed, soon enough she joined him, and this time there wasn't any awkwardness, and Draco fell asleep content.

* * *

Hermione was more or less pleased with her new routine.

She'd usually wake up in Draco's arms, but it didn't really feel wrong, if felt more like she had a big, fluffy hugging pillow – a clingy one. She'd extract herself from said 'pillow', then go to her room to take a shower, after which she would dress in one of Narcissa Malfoy's extravagant dresses (having given up the hope that Draco might bring her normal clothes for a change). She and Draco would have breakfast and then they'd research books, side by side, until it was time for lunch.

After lunch they took a walk in the garden, then went back to the library for more research. Only after 6 – 7 PM each evening did they stop their reading, and then they'd move to the music room, where Hermione would play two, maybe three classical pieces, to Draco's enthusiastic applause. After her recital, they'd have dinner and then do more research in the library, and finally it was time for sleep.

The only problem with this routine was that she felt time was wasting: she made no progress on how to break Draco's curse.

Hermione continued her search for information about the Rosiers, but at the same time she kept on looking for any spell or potion that might turn Draco back into a human. She had tried a variation of a simple reversal spell, "Homenum reverto", but it hadn't worked.

Despite Draco's annoyance and reluctance to lower the wards around the castle, Hermione had also sent Emerald to Viktor Krum, asking him to give her more information about that time during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament when he had partially transfigured himself into a shark. She hoped that the reversal transfiguration might help Draco with his condition, though chances were slim at best – Viktor had transformed himself _intentionally_ , he hadn't been cursed…

The Bulgarian had replied quite fast, but to her disappointment, Hermione didn't find anything useful in his detailed description of the transformation and its reversal – and Draco was doubly annoyed that Viktor had asked Hermione whether she had a boyfriend and if not, whether she'd consider him for that role.

She had told Draco that he wasn't even supposed to see that letter, but apparently Emerald's loyalty overcame, time and time again, her duties as a letter delivering owl. Hermione was ever more upset with Draco when he flatly refused to let her send a reply to Viktor.

As time passed by, Hermione started having a new reason to worry other than, well, time passing. The enhanced Potion nr. 220 was almost done, which meant that Draco would soon resume human form – for several days. While she got along with Beast Draco just fine, she wasn't sure she'd get along with human Draco equally well.

Plus, there was also the complication – Narcissa Malfoy would soon arrive.

* * *

Draco was really happy with his new routine. Each morning he woke up with Hermione in his arms. He usually pretended to be asleep and let her retreat to her room, but every now and then he'd keep a secure arm around her, making her work for her freedom. He very much enjoyed her squirming.

Once she cleared the room, he'd pop into the shower, get dressed, then meet her for breakfast. They'd spend hours researching ways to break the curse before they had any lunch, but at least after that they could relax in the garden for a while, before returning to the their research.

Draco had the impression that as taken as Hermione was with the castle's library, even she was sick of it sometimes.

His favorite part of the day was her piano recital. She played something different every day, which was impressive, and all those classical pieces sounded amazing. He had asked Mopsy to bring one of the armchairs from the library to the music room, so that he could sit closer to her while she played. He loved the music, but he also loved watching emotions play on her face as her fingers moved dexterously over the piano keys.

Once she was done playing, they'd have dinner and then do some more research. So far, however, they hadn't advanced much, if at all. The reverting spell Hermione had tried had failed completely, and apparently she hadn't made much progress in her quest for information about the Rosier family either.

Time passed and then it was almost time for him to take the potion that would turn him back into a human. Draco had great expectations for those couple of days – still, his biggest worry was his mother. She would arrive some time the following day. He just hoped he'd have time to take the potion and resume his original form before she came.

Despite his worries, he fell asleep thinking about how the following night he'd share the bed with Hermione, only this time he'd be his normal, handsome, _human_ self. An intriguing thought, filled with possibilities.

* * *

Silence reigned the following morning at breakfast. Hermione was quite nervous because she could just feel something would go wrong and Narcissa Malfoy would find out about her continued presence in Chateau Malfoy. Just like Mopsy had slipped up about Draco's birthday to her, wasn't it likely that she'd also tell Mrs. Malfoy about Hermione? Not intentionally, of course, but then again, Hagrid never intentionally told Quirrell/Voldemort about how to put Fluffy to sleep either – it just happened…

She imagined Draco was nervous about the same thing – or perhaps he was more worried about the potion and whether it'd work as expected or not. Hermione was a bit concerned too, after all, she didn't think anyone had ever mixed Potion no. 220 with an Everlasting Elixir before, but she'd done everything by the book, so there was no reason to think something would go wrong.

"Are you done?" Draco was asking, and Hermione realized she hadn't eaten anything off her plate for several minutes.

"Yes, let's get that potion and make you human again", she said reassuringly.

They went to the underground room where they had left the potion, and brought it up to the library.

Draco uncorked the jar, then drank deep of it. Just like last time, she saw him grimace as if in great pain and soon the transformation was under way – little by little he became less beast and more human until he was completely transformed, and even more handsome than she remembered, Hermione thought wryly.

"It worked", he said, and she just couldn't stop her automatic response.

"Always that tone of surprise…"

But that's all she got to say because, like the previous time, he lifted her off her feet, only this time he spun her just once before kissing her full on the mouth. And yet Hermione hadn't seen it coming.

With the last remnants of reason, she wondered how she could be the smartest witch her age if she kept on doing the same things, yet expected different results. She knew how exuberant he became when he was back in human form, yet she hadn't prepared for it and now he was kissing her and she was, once more, melting.

At least now she finally had no choice but to admit to herself that yes, she was attracted to Draco Malfoy – otherwise she wouldn't have felt sparks flying as if she were back at Ollivander's when her wand had chosen her.

No time to try and make sense of that attraction though, because Draco's hands were busy going up and down her back, pulling her ever closer, so her eyelids fluttered close, and she gave in to the wonderful feelings that were assaulting her senses.

* * *

It was amazing to be human again, and Draco couldn't help it: he grabbed Hermione, spun her once and then kissed her for all he was worth.

Initially she seemed to be melting in his arms just like before, but apparently she wasn't to be 'fooled' twice. He felt her start to struggle against him, so he had no choice, he reluctantly let her go.

"I thought we were friends, Draco, so how is this OK?" she was asking, and although she sounded out of breath, there was fire in her eyes – and Draco wasn't sure it was due to passion, it could very well be due to anger.

Now that she mentioned it, yes, they were supposed to be friends, so his behavior hadn't been quite appropriate. The problem was that Draco only wanted to become Hermione's friend as a stepping stone to becoming more – while she probably wanted to stop there.

So maybe proposing friendship hadn't been the best way to go about things? Well, it probably wasn't the time to tell her of his intentions so he had to salvage what he could of the situation.

"We are friends, it's just that I was worried that the potion might not work and then I felt so relieved, I had to express it somehow." He wondered whether she'd believe it – his excuse sounded exactly as that, an excuse, nothing more.

"Not one minute into being human and you're behaving more beastly than when you were a beast", she was saying, "how is that possible?"

"Sometimes I think you like me better as a Beast."

"Sometimes I do. It probably has something to do with the way you don't jump me."

He was guilty, so he didn't try to defend himself. Draco just hoped he'd eventually change her mind and make her like him more as a human – the final goal, being, of course, to make her _love_ him, as he loved her.

"Careful or I might start thinking it's in my best interest you remain a beast."

"Too late, darling", he drawled, "you already made the Unbreakable Vow to do your best to break the curse."

"Urgh…that's right, why did I ever do that?!"

She seemed quite upset with herself, but Draco preferred her anger directed somewhere other than at him, for a change.

Before either of them could say anything else, Mopsy apparated in the room, and they jumped away from each other. In the heat of the argument, they'd been standing way too close, faces almost touching.

"Mopsy apologizes for interrupting Master and Miss, but Mopsy wanted to ask Master what room she should prepare for Mistress."

"My mother will use her room, of course", Draco said.

"But Master, isn't Miss using that room…" the elf tried to say, but Draco cut her off.

"Hermione will be sharing my room for the duration of my mother's visit – she's been using the bed as it is, might as well use the bathroom and whatever else she needs."

"Wait just a second", Hermione protested, as Draco knew she would. "It was one thing to sleep in your bed while you were in beast form - you were like a large pet". _Excuse me?_ Draco thought, offended. "But don't think for a second that I'll continue to do so while you're human, that would be so wrong I wouldn't even know where to begin describing it."

He didn't know exactly how he was going to make her change her mind, but he had to try.

"Oh, so on the surface you advocate house elves' welfare, but when it comes down to it, you'd put Mopsy to all the extra work of preparing an extra bedroom, is that it?" he asked, hoping the low blow would have the desired effect.

"Mopsy doesn't mind…" the elf started to say, but once again, Draco stopped her.

"Mopsy, go get my mother's bedroom ready". His tone was calm, but firm.

"Yes, Master", squeaked the elf and disapparated.

"You heard her", Hermione was saying, "she doesn't mind preparing another bedroom, plus she's being paid for her work, so it's not like I'm exploiting her or anything."

"It's still a waste of time and resources", Draco argued.

"Then why on earth have so many bedrooms in this big castle anyway, if you're not going to use them?" she sounded exasperated.

"There used to be big parties and balles masquées here, _Granger_ ", Draco told her, "and there would be dozens of guests – that's what all the bedrooms are for."

"And didn't you say I'm a guest here too, so why can't I have my own bedroom? I had one for the first few days when I came to this castle, why is it impossible all of a sudden?"

She made a good point, but Draco wasn't about to give up.

"No one said it was impossible, just wasteful, and you don't seem like the type of person to waste resources if you can help it."

"But don't I seem the type of person who cares about what's appropriate and what isn't? And sharing a bed is NOT appropriate!" she was raising her voice now, not a good sign, Draco thought.

Fine, it was time for a last gambit – she was a Gryffindor, which meant she was brave, and the Gryffindor symbol was a lion, which also meant that she was proud, so he wanted to see if she could refuse a challenge.

"You talk about me and how I haven't changed – what about _you_? You hide behind rules of propriety, but isn't that just to hide the fact that you're _scared?_ "

She closed her mouth with an audible click, so Draco knew he had scored points. He pressed his advantage.

"So tell me the real reason you don't want to share a bed with me while I'm in human form. What are you afraid of? That you'll _like_ it? That you'll want _more_?" he teased.

He was a bit worried he might have pushed too far – her face was bright red and she had clenched her hands into fists.

"I'm _not_ afraid of you, _Malfoy_. Fine, we'll continue with our sleeping arrangements."

Victory was sweet, Draco thought, with a trademark smirk on his face. Gryffindors were brave, but sometimes that was their downfall – they couldn't resist a challenge, and the cunning Slytherins knew that all too well, and knew how to use it to their advantage.

Just then he felt a push on the castle wards. His mother had arrived.

* * *

Hermione knew when to admit defeat. He had challenged her bravery, and that was something she couldn't take quietly. So they'd share a bed, it wasn't the end of the world – she'd just assume the attitude of that very first night: she'd turn her back on him, and try to fall asleep as fast as possible.

Sure, she was attracted to Draco, so trying to ignore him while he was so close might prove difficult, but it was not impossible. Hermione had had to do more difficult things – probably.

"My mother is here", Draco told her, and she instantly panicked.

"I'll stay here, in the library, for the rest of the day – researching. Just don't forget to send Mopsy with food for lunch and dinner, I'd rather not starve."

"Of course I won't forget about you, and if I can I'll also sneak in to see you every now and then – but we'll do the catching up at night."

"Yes, just don't let your mother come in here, OK?"

"I won't".

With that, he disapparated.

Hermione thought there was one good thing about sharing the room at night – they'd get the chance to talk about their days, now that they wouldn't be spending them together.

She sat down on her armchair and resumed reading.

* * *

Draco apparated at the castle gates, to see his mother waiting patiently – but there was a calculated expression on her face that he thought meant trouble.

When she saw him, though, her mask fell for a few seconds, and she seemed genuinely happy to see him human.

"Draco, is the curse…"

"It's not broken, at least, not permanently. I get to be human for a couple of days, which is why I invited you here now, instead of on my birthday."

He let her take that in.

"I'm so glad you could make it", he said, as he kissed her hand.

She kissed him on both cheeks.

"While I'm glad to see you like this, dear, tell me - why are you the only one greeting me?"

Draco was puzzled – as far as he knew, his mother wasn't on such good terms with house-elves...

"Mopsy is probably busy getting your bedroom ready, mother, I told her to do that just moments before you arrived."

"I didn't mean _Mopsy,_ Draco, don't play daft with me, it doesn't suit you. I meant Miss Granger."

How on earth did she know?! Draco was shocked. She hadn't even entered the castle yet! So how…?

"What…? Why would Hermione Gra…" he tried to evade answering, but his mother wouldn't have it.

"Don't insult my intelligence either, dear. If you're curious about how I know – and I can see that you are – here is your answer", she said, and she handed him two letters, the Hogwarts crest visible on the envelopes.


	11. Narcissa and the first night as human

**A/N:** I'm REALLY sorry for posting this chapter late, but I was out of the city for the weekend, so I didn't really have time to write. And what's worse – this week I have a full schedule after work, and next week I'm leaving the country for a 8 days trip abroad, so… if I don't finish the story by then, there will be probably be a longer hiatus between chapters.

So it's unclear when I'll update again, but let's hope it'll be soon ;)

About this chapter - Narcissa Malfoy has entered the stage… will that make things better or worse? And how will Draco and Hermione get through their nights together, now that he's human?

Read and find out! :D It's going to be quite juicy – we'll get to that M rating yet ;)

As always, thank you for reading, reviewing, following and adding the story to your favorites! ^_^

* * *

 **Chapter 10 Narcissa and the first night as human**

Draco took the letters from his mother, and noticed that while one was addressed to him, the other was for Hermione. It said clearly: "To Miss Hermione Granger, the Master Bedroom, Chateau Malfoy, Loire Valley, France".

He felt heat creep up to his cheeks when he noticed that her address was the same as his: the Master Bedroom – and his mother couldn't have missed that particular detail. _Well, this is awkward_ , he thought to himself.

"Care to explain to me why you are sharing your father's bedroom with Hermione Granger?" Narcissa asked him, her voice cold and clear as a winter morning.

"Please don't say 'father's bedroom', it makes this whole thing sound sordid", Draco groaned. "He's in Azkaban for a decade, so until his return, that's my bedroom."

"That may be so, but why is it also Miss Granger's bedroom?"

She wouldn't let up, Draco knew she'd shower him with questions until she knew everything. This was _not_ how he imagined his reunion with his mother would be. It was, quite literally, the worst case scenario.

"It's a long story, and I'm sure you're tired from the trip…"

"Draco, dear, I _apparated_ here and while that took its toll on me, I'm quite fine – so don't try to make it sound like you're concerned about me when in fact you're trying to evade answering my question."

She was as sharp as ever – and her words cut straight to the point, Draco thought. But he smiled – however precarious the situation was, he was glad to have his mother there with him, he had missed her.

"Shall we stroll through the garden then, while I tell you all about it? I think you'll like the improvements I've made since the last time you saw it."

"Let's", Narcissa said, and stretched her hand elegantly in his direction.

He took it and led her on the winding cobbled paths, and started talking – knowing that delaying the inevitable would only make things worse. His mother was sort of like a howler that way, despite her 'proper' appearance.

He told her about how Hermione had wandered to the gates of his castle, though he didn't know how she managed to saw through the enchantments in the first place. He bragged about how clever he'd been to catch her by surprise by sending Mopsy to steal her wand, how he'd forced her into making an Unbreakable Vow to stay and help him break the curse.

His mother didn't interrupt, and her face betrayed little of what she thought of his story, but eventually she did speak up.

"If you forced her into helping you, then how did she end up in _your_ bedroom, Draco?"

Right to the heart of the matter, Draco thought with a smile.

"Well, turns out she would have helped me willingly, had I asked nicely… so during the past couple of weeks, we became… friends… "

"Friends, is it? Strange, but I was under the impression only lovers shared a bed, not _friends_."

Despite himself, Draco felt his face redden. Did she really want to have that conversation with him? Merlin's pants, he was of age, he didn't have to explain himself…

"Let me spare you the trouble of trying to come up with an excuse or some prettily wrapped up lie – as I doubt you'll actually tell me the truth", his mother said, and Draco had to admit that indeed, he didn't really know what he could say.

"From what you said – and especially from what you _didn't_ say – I gather that you are in love with Hermione Granger and she probably loves you back, otherwise she never would have consented to sharing your bed."

 _If only_ , Draco thought.

"Mother dear, I'm afraid you're getting a bit ahead of yourself. While Hermione and I have been sleeping in the same bed for the past two weeks, it's only ever been platonic – until earlier this morning I was in beast form."

"If that's the only reason why you haven't… consummated your relationship, it means I am right in my assumptions", his mother said, and Draco was pleased that now even her face seemed to be somewhat pinker than usual. He didn't call her on it, because she'd surely argue that it was the wind that put color in her cheeks.

"That's not the only reason… the truth is that I am in love with her, but it's not mutual – therefore I had to use the best of my cunning to get her to sleep in the same bed as me."

He waited for his mother's reaction. She had always discriminated against people she considered "inferior", but the war had changed her, so perhaps there was a chance she wouldn't react too badly.

"If we would have had this conversation last year, I would have refused to accept your feelings – I would have called them infatuation, I might even have accused Miss Granger of slipping you a love potion or casting a love spell of some sort on you …."

Draco watched her take a deep breath before she continued.

"But now, I can only say I think you chose well."

He felt his jaw drop, but he tried talking anyway.

"I didn't _choose_ anything, it's something that's been happening for a long time now, and that I've only admitted since she came to the castle. I'm surprised you approve though…"

"What good is pure blood, when the people whose veins it runs through are all ruled by the fear they have for a tyrant with terrible power that could kill them at any given moment? That's what most purebloods did when Voldemort returned – they rallied back to him, but only a few did it out of loyalty. And who was it that finally defeated Voldemort? A half-blood, a muggle born and a blood traitor. It's time to turn a new leaf, and live within the light – and reconsider our views on who has and who hasn't worth in the wizarding world."

Quite the speech, Draco thought, in awe of his mother.

"I say 'our', but I should really say 'my', as I know that for some time now, you already changed the views that your father and I tried to pass on to you."

"Just like I'm sure you do, I too admire Miss Granger for her achievements, despite her _humble_ origins, and I am most grateful for her testimony at our trial. Not to mention I have a feeling that whatever turned you back into a human, even temporarily, it was something she came up with." Draco confirmed with a nod. "So, Draco, I give you my consent to pursuit a relationship with her – not that you need it, you are of age now and can do as you please."

She sounded a bit sad when she said that, so Draco tried to make her feel better.

"I'm still happy that you approve…Oh, and guess what this letter says?" Draco asked, as he had just opened and quickly read his letter.

"I'm in no mood for guesses, Draco, so just tell me."

"I've been named Head Boy."

"Congratulations, you deserve it!" his mother said proudly.

"I bet Hermione was named Head Girl too", Draco said, and was about to open her envelope when his mother stopped him.

"It would be quite the faux pas to open someone else's correspondence, Draco, not to mention I gave my word I would deliver these letters to the persons they were intended for."

"I was going to ask you how you came by these letters", Draco said.

"Well, once I apparated in front of the castle gates, I saw two owls circling tiredly around the area, so I relieved them of their duties, promising I would make sure the letters would be delivered."

"Fine, in that case let's deliver this letter, shall we?" Draco said.

"Yes", his mother agreed, "it's time I officially meet Miss Granger, as we will spend some time together for the next couple of days."

* * *

Hermione found she couldn't focus on her reading – she was thinking about Draco and his reunion with his mother, and how she was going to get through the following few days without being found out. In the complete silence of the library, even turning pages seemed to make an ear splitting noise, and she was sure _someone_ (read Draco and Narcissa Malfoy) would come in any moment now.

But it wasn't easy staying in the library, making no noise and pretending she wasn't there – Harry had had to do the same thing once, when he still lived with the Dursleys, and he had told her how well _that_ turned out: Dobby had caused a cake to fall on top of someone, a guest of Harry's uncle or something like that. Mopsy surely wouldn't cause such a scene, but it was best to try to expect the unexpected.

And no sooner did she think it, that the unexpected occurred: Draco entered the library, followed by his mother.

She threw him an accusatory look before she jumped to her feet, book toppling to the ground, and she nervously brushed a hand over her silver cocktail dress – only it wasn't _her_ dress, it was Narcissa Malfoy's, and Hermione noticed the older woman take her in, dress and all.

"Mother, I believe you know Hermione Granger", Draco was saying as he led his mother towards Hermione, who was petrified on the spot.

Narcissa came to a stop in front of her.

"We were never formally introduced", she said. "I'm Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother."

Hermione felt it was weird to do introductions, when not so long ago she had been squirming in pain on the floor of Malfoy Manor, while Narcissa watched… but she played along.

"Pleasure. I'm Hermione Granger – um… I'm helping Draco break his curse", she added lamely, not sure what more she could say at the moment.

"Draco told me. Thank you for helping my son, and also thank you for testifying for him and for me at our trial – the Malfoys are quite indebted to you."

"Not at all", Hermione said, trying to sound cool and collected, when she was feeling anything but that. Then she remembered about being in one of Narcissa's dresses.

"I'm really sorry about taking your clothes without your permission…"

She didn't get to say more than that, as Narcissa held up a delicate, French-manicured hand, to stop her.

"There's no need to apologize. Draco has told me all about your circumstances, so it's quite all right."

 _Is she being deceptively nice?_ Hermione wondered. _Or is she really this changed?_

She remembered moments when Narcissa Malfoy had made it clear that she thought Hermione, Harry and Ron were scum, so could the war really have made such a difference in her? It was a reassuring thought, but Hermione was not prone to wishful thinking, so she stayed on her guard.

"I don't want to disturb your research, so I'll leave you to it. Draco and I have a lot of catching up to do – if you can spare him".

She thought Narcissa Malfoy was being ironic, or maybe she was teasing…? After all, like mother, like son, right? Hermione wouldn't take the bait though.

"Of course you two must talk, I'll just continue my reading."

Trying to not give in to the impulse to make a curtsy, Hermione retrieved her book from the floor and sat back down with it in the armchair.

"Oh, this came for you", Draco said and gave her a letter.

Mother and son left together, and in the silence that ensued, she wondered what had just happened.

* * *

As they entered the first floor study, Draco turned toward his mother, letting her take a seat first and then asked her.

"So what do you think of her?"

"Other than what I've already told you?" she asked. "I think that you're wrong when you say that your love is not reciprocated."

"And how did you come by _that_ conclusion?" Draco asked curiously.

He had suspected Hermione might be attracted to him, but to even think she might feel more than mild liking towards him was to be unrealistic. Or maybe he was 'putting himself down', as Hermione had said, and he wasn't objective, so his mother might actually have a better view on things.

"Whether Miss Granger realized it or not – and I'd venture a guess she is doing it unknowingly – her eyes darted to you every two seconds while she talked to me. I may intimidate her somewhat, but it's you she has on her mind, you whom she really wants to impress."

"I think you're biased on account of being my mother and having a too high opinion of me." Draco said.

"You should know by now that while your father and I spoiled you up to a point, we also had high expectations of you – and we still have, which means we won't tell you things you want to hear if they aren't true."

Perhaps his mother was right, but he still thought that if anything, Granger might have a crush of sorts on him, nothing more. That was the effect he had on most girls, but for someone to actually see beyond the pretty exterior and the mostly unpleasant attitude that was expected of him – and to love him... Not even Pansy Parkinson had bothered to look deeper than skin level, and she had been the closest he had ever had to a girlfriend – the rest had all been one night stands.

He decided that conversation had gone on long enough and it was time to address different, but equally problematic subjects.

"What news do you bring me of my father?" he asked.

His mother looked sad, and it was no wonder.

"He's not doing well. I believe we must consider ourselves fortunate that the Dementors no longer guard Azkaban, or I would have feared for his life."

Was it that bad? Draco was worried.

"What's wrong with him?" Draco asked, and he knew he sounded cold, but he had mixed feelings about his father and wasn't sure how to manage them.

"Other than losing everything he cared about – his reputation, his freedom, not to mention us, his family?"

Draco felt somewhat chagrined.

"He's very upset about what happened to you."

"You _told_ him?!" Draco asked, raising his voice.

His mother didn't flinch.

"Truth is always preferable to lies, Draco, at least where your loved ones are concerned."

"You could have just kept quiet about it."

"A lie by omission is still a lie."

"But what good does it do that he knows? It's not like he can help me from Azkaban."

"Perhaps he can – when he's not too depressed for it, he is doing his own research into methods to break the curse." His mother informed him.

That was news to Draco, and he felt a lump in his throat at the thought that his father, even in his present distressing circumstances, still thought of him and dedicated time to try to help him.

"I… I didn't know… I hope you'll thank him on my account the next time you visit him."

"Wouldn't it be better to tell him yourself?" his mother gently probed.

"I don't intend to go anywhere while I'm still in beast form."

"You're human now."

"But not for long – besides, I can't leave Hermione here and just go, not to mention I don't think I'm ready to see my father and talk to him…"

"Fine, but I hope you know that we only have this moment, the next is not guaranteed – so don't postpone things until it's too late to do anything."

"You're too gloomy! Besides, I do intend to see him, in a way – through that enchanted mirror of yours."

That seemed to have piqued his mother's interest.

"Oh, the compact mirror my mother gave me? It's here? I admit I lost track of it some years ago and eventually forgot all about it."

"Well, it's here and I intend to use it – and when I'm back to being human, I will go see father in Azkaban."

That seemed to mollify his mother.

"Very well. Now, I believe it is lunch time, and we shouldn't tarry – Miss Granger must be thoroughly curious by now as to what we talked about for all this time, imagining for sure that she was one of the main subjects. I doubt whether she managed to read a single paragraph", his mother said and Draco shook his head at his mother's obvious amusement.

* * *

Once again, Hermione couldn't focus on anything she was reading. Her mind had apparently followed Draco and his mother out the door – and all she could think about was what they were saying to each other.

So far Narcissa Malfoy had been a pleasant surprise, her attitude civil, her manners impeccable. If she kept that up, the following few days might not be so bad after all.

She realized she hadn't even looked at the letter Draco had given her, so she opened it and quickly read it. Beside the standard list of books for her last year at Hogwarts, Hermione was also informed she had been named Head Girl.

Her face lit up with happiness at being granted such an honor, but a moment later, her face fell – she noticed the address on the envelope… The Master Bedroom, Chateau Malfoy, Loire Valley, France… could it have said any clearer that she was sharing a bedroom with Draco Malfoy?

Hermione was extremely distressed - Headmistress McGonagall was way too smart not to realize what that address meant, after all, the Transfiguration professor had been a hatstall at her sorting (the Sorting hat had considered for over five minutes before placing Minrva McGonagall in Gryffindor, rather than Ravenclaw).

So what must the headmistress think?! And what if she wrote to Harry and Ron to ask about the situation? If _they_ heard about this shared bedroom situation, there were only two options they might think of, both as bad as could be: either Draco had forced her to share his bedroom or she had gone willingly.

It was a disaster! She had to write to all of them and let them know what the truth was – but alas, she had made the Unbreakable vow not to disclose anything about Draco or the curse, so how could she explain properly?

Then again, Hermione thought, she was friends with Draco now, so surely he'd write to her friends and to the headmistress and set things right… right? Maybe not – her intuition told her Draco would be quite pleased to allow that misunderstanding. However, it wouldn't be in Draco's best interest if once they got out of the castle, Harry and Ron hunted him down and cursed him right back or something similar. She'd just have to ask him that night and convince him he had to write to them and explain.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mopsy suddenly apparated next to her, startling her.

"Lunch is ready, Miss. Master and Mistress are already in the dining room and they sent Mopsy to fetch Miss."

Oh, so she was invited to the family dinner?

"Thank you, Mopsy, I'll be there in a minute."

Once the elf disapparated, Hermione figured she might as well do the same – she usually preferred to walk to the dining room because Draco was with her and they could talk on the way and she could admire the castle. Now that she was alone, there was no point wasting time.

She apparated in front of the dining room door, feeling it would be better manners to knock, rather than just literally pop out of thin air.

So she knocked, but didn't wait for anyone to acknowledge it – Hermione had been _invited_ to lunch after all, so it wasn't as if they didn't know she was on her way.

There was a third chair at the table, placed in the middle on one of the sides of the table, and Hermione thought that was quite a 'strategic' placement. Draco was just helping his mother into that third seat, so Hermione sat herself at the table.

It was Narcissa Malfoy that broke the silence.

"Glad you could join us, Miss Granger. Any progress?"

Hermione was pretty sure she was being ironic.

"I'm afraid not."

"No matter, there is still plenty of time left until summer is over, though the sooner my son is free from his curse, the better."

Hermione chose not to comment.

"It is wonderful to see him back in human form, even if it won't last long, what did you use?"

"A more potent version of Potion no. 220 – enhanced by an Everlasting Elixir." Hermione stated calmly.

"Ingenious".

"Thank you."

"But apparently I'll eventually grow immune to it, mother", Draco intervened.

Hermione was grateful that he did, as she still felt nervous to talk to Narcissa Malfoy.

"Once the effect wears off in a couple of days, I'll only get to use it once more, then it'll be useless."

"Pity – but on the other hand this was always going to be a temporary solution. The only way you'll be free of the curse is to break it. Becoming dependent on a potion wouldn't have been much of a solution. Just think of Voldemort when he went after the Philosopher's stone – he only wanted it so that he could regain his body, but he made sure he had horcruxes that would keep him alive, not matter what happened to that body."

There it was, criticism to her solution, Hermione thought. It was to be expected – although she seemed politer now, Narcissa Malfoy usually looked like there was something foul smelling around.

"Now, mother, don't be like that…"

But Hermione interrupted Draco's words – she didn't need him defending her or anything. She could take on Narcissa Malfoy by herself, any time.

"Not that Voldemort is an example to follow", Hermione said, voice dripping with fake sweetness, "but of course I intend to find a way to break the curse, rather than keeping it at bay with a potion that Draco would become dependent on. I've seen what happens when werewolves miss taking their potion on time, and it's not pretty, so rest assured – I'm looking for a permanent solution, not just a temporary one."

"I know, Miss Granger," Narcissa said in an apologetic tone, "and I'm sorry for speaking like that – I'm afraid I just wanted to test your resolve, not that it was necessary, seeing as you're compelled by the Unbreakable vow to do your best."

Hermione didn't comment – she preferred to pretend she was busy eating, no matter whether it was poor manners or not.

That seemed to make Narcissa feel like she had to continue talking.

"I'm not sure whether Draco has told you this, but I was never a Death Eater myself – and while I have been raised in a certain way, with certain views of the world, I know better now. It's hard to change the values one grew up with, but I'm certainly trying to do that, and that is why I want to express my admiration for you, Miss Granger, and also my gratitude for helping my family, not just at the trial, but now, during Draco's predicament."

"Like I told Draco before, it's the right thing to do", Hermione said grudgingly, though she was quite surprised to hear Nacissa Malfoy be so open with her, and so…. humble, for lack of a better word.

"Either way, thank you and I hope that one day we'll be able to repay you."

"There really is no need," Hermione said, her teeth almost clenching. She had gotten used to getting along with Draco – his mother being so grateful was weird to say the least and way too much for her to take in at the moment.

Narcissa seemed to have picked up on the fact that Hermione wanted to move to lighter conversation, so she did what she knew best – small talked. She asked Hermione whether she liked the castle, the garden – at which point there was talk about Draco's spell on the roses, the conversation eventually steered to the music room and how Narcissa also played the piano – and they decided they'd both play during that evening.

But before that, there was still research to be done, so Hermione went back to the library, while Draco and his mother went someplace else, probably to talk some more, given the limited time they had together.

During lunch, Narcissa had expressed her wish to remain with her son longer, despite having charity work to attend – to but Draco was adamant that she was to go back as initially planned. He had no desire to be seen like the Beast.

* * *

Draco felt very happy having his mother there. Lunch had been a tricky affair, at some point he had been afraid he'd witness a duel between Hermione and his mother, but luckily things had turned out quite nicely.

He talked to his mother about many things while they strolled in the garden after lunch – she told him all the news of their acquaintances, like for instance that not all of his Slytherin colleagues would be returning to Hogwarts for their final year, some of them choosing Durmstrang Institute instead. The only ones who were coming back would be Theo, Blaise and Daphne. Draco was quite pleased to hear that, because he didn't want to see Pansy Parkinson again, nor Gregory Goyle. Still, he wouldn't see any of his colleagues if he didn't get rid of the curse by the first of September…

When the light grew dim, Draco led his mother to the music room, picking up Hermione on the way, and then he listened to them both play the piano – it was quite a treat for him.

Dinner went well, although his mother retired early, saying that apparating over a distance of about 500 miles had been challenging and she needed to rest. That left Draco alone with Hermione for the first time since his mother arrived.

"So, did you make Head Girl?" he asked her, though he was sure what the answer would be.

"I did. I gather you're Head Boy too?"

"Yes – although they might have to name someone else if we don't break this curse by the time school starts."

"I told you before that you should come either way."

"And I told you that I won't, not unless I'll be human. Can you imagine how the other students would react if they saw me as the Beast? They'd either be frightened to death – probably the first years – and the rest would shake with laughter, especially the Gryffindors, so no thank you, I'd rather spare myself that humiliation", he said bitterly.

"Oh, I don't know, I think a little humility does wonders, just look at your mother – she's way more civil now, after the war, than she was before."

"Yes, but she still has her good looks", he said grudgingly.

"Just get over yourself, will you? Besides, there are more pressing matters to discuss."

"Like what?" Draco asked.

"Like whether Mopsy moved some of your mother's clothes to your room so that I have something to wear these days, seeing as you wouldn't get me anything of my own – what happened to the clothes I came in when I first entered your castle, by the way?"

"Oh, I'll give them back to you – when you leave the castle", Draco said, smirking. He knew that would only annoy her further, but he couldn't help it, he liked teasing her.

"I sure could have used them today, when I 'officially' met your mother, but never mind. So?"

Draco had to think back a moment to remember what her first question had been.

"Yes, Mopsy brought some clothing, you'll find them in my wardrobe, they're conspicuous enough that you can't miss them."

"I bet they are. Fine, in that case, I'm going back to the library to get more studying done… you, on the other hand, can go straight to bed, it is already pretty late…"

He saw right through her intentions.

"Oh, I don't feel tired at all. I think I'll keep you company for a while longer", he said innocently. If she was hoping he'd be asleep by the time she came back from the library, she was sorely mistaken.

Draco had big plans for that night – which is why until they were both in bed together, he'd act like a perfect gentleman, while at the same time not letting her out of his sight. His intention was to keep her on edge, because he was sure she was completely nervous about that night.

He was glad that she didn't comment, and together they went to the library, where they read in silence for about two hours. It wasn't the usual, peaceful silence between them, but rather a loaded one and Draco could feel anticipation building with every minute.

He couldn't really focus on what he was reading, and he was willing to bet neither could Hermione, but he knew how stubborn she could be. She wouldn't admit defeat first, so he had to do it, or they'd be in the library all night.

With a huge fake yawn, he put his book down.

"I'm done for the day – I'm heading to bed and you shouldn't stay much longer either, or you'll be tired tomorrow."

He knew she'd probably stay for at least half an hour more, but he was prepared to wait – she was well worth waiting for.

* * *

Hermione watched him leave, but didn't say anything. She was tempted to wish him "Good night", because she really hoped he'd be asleep by the time she got to the bedroom, but instinct told her he'd still be awake.

She did want to talk to him about writing to Professor McGonagall and to Harry and Ron, so in a way she needed him to stay awake – he might be more susceptible to doing what she asked for if she told him about it in bed… again, it was just her intuition.

But she was incredibly nervous about sleeping in the same bed as Draco Malfoy, in his human form. She could bet that he'd never spent a night with a girl just sleeping… and the fact that he had done so in Beast form for the past two weeks didn't really count, as it was not the same thing.

Hermione had to consider the possibility he'd try something – and she had to be prepared to stop him somehow, but how? Past experience told her she couldn't really resist him and while she was sorely tempted to cast Petrificus Totalus on him, she couldn't risk it – what if the Full Body Bind curse was considered harming him and she'd die due to the Unbreakable vow? So not worth it!

She couldn't really think about other spells that might restrain him while not harming him, and fighting him off physically didn't sound plausible either – which left her out of options… and out of time, she noticed, as the grandfather clock chimed a very late hour indeed.

Hermione decided she had to get some sleep – it was imperative that she broke Draco's curse as soon as possible and she wouldn't be able to do that if she were dead on her feet with exhaustion.

She left the library and walked right up to Draco's bedroom door, hoping that on the way she might come up with some bright idea, but once she got there, she still didn't know what to do.

So Hermione knocked lightly and then entered.

He was in bed, but he wasn't sleeping – the candles were still lit and he seemed like he had simply been waiting for her.

"I thought I said you shouldn't wait for me", she reproached.

"And I thought I told you not to stay much longer, so I guess neither of us is very good at doing what we're told".

With a huff, Hermione walked to the wardrobe, she identified a full length nightgown among all the clothes Mopsy had brought, and with a quick "I'm taking a shower" in Draco's direction, she entered the bathroom.

Safety for about fifteen more minutes, she thought to herself, trying to let the warm water wash her worries away.

But once her shower was done, she was even more preoccupied with her situation than before… and there was no more postponing to be done… she entered the bedroom.

This time the room was dark, but she could tell Draco wasn't sleeping. From what little moonlight got in through the window, she could see his eyes glow silver in the dark. Perhaps it was just an impression, but Hermione thought they looked like a predator's eyes.

She got in the bed, careful to sit as close to the edge as possible, although there was no chance of accidentally touching him now that he was in his human, smaller size.

"There is something I wanted to talk to you about", she said, before she lost her nerve.

"What is it, Hermione?" he replied, and his voice was silky and seductive in the dark – he was practically purring her name, and here she thought he could only purr when in Beast form.

"Perhaps you noticed the address on my letter?"

"I did. So?"

His voice sounded teasing now, and she wondered how he could feel amused about something so dire.

"SO, it means that the school is aware of our sleeping arrangements – and the Headmistress might have written to enquire about this situation, which may cause further complications."

She felt like she was explaining things to a child, or else a very dim witted person, and Draco was neither, which meant he was making things difficult for her on purpose, the prat.

"I'm sure McGonagall is too much of a…prude to inquire about it, so I wouldn't worry about it."

His casual dismissal of her worries only served to annoy Hermione.

"Well, I'm sure that if my address read 'Ron Weasley's bedroom, The Burrow' she wouldn't ask any questions, but as it is do you really think she didn't try contacting me? And failing to do so due to your wards, don't you think she would have written to Harry or Ron, or even both? Imagine how bad it would be if she did!" Hermione exclaimed, trying to impress upon him the gravity of the situation.

He made a growl that was more suited to his Beast form, and now he, too, sounded angry

"I'm not afraid of Potter and Weasley, not to mention they can't find the castle, so why worry?"

She could feel his eyes no her, which meant that he was leaning over to her side of the bed – not good.

"Not everything is about you, Draco", she sighed, upset that once again he could see no further than his own perspective on things. "Imagine how worried Harry and Ron and even Professor McGonagall must be feeling – I told them not to worry, and then _this_? They probably think the worst happened."

"I really think McGonagall kept this bit of information for herself, so she's the only one we need to worry about – and you can explain everything to her once school starts. I'd explain, but I'm not sure I'll attend this year, so it'll be up to you."

Hermione couldn't believe he was acting like that. And she thought he was better than this – apparently not!

"You'd leave people to worry for weeks, and for what? Is it that much of a trouble to write to them and reassure them? You've lowered the wards on the castle before, so it's not like I'm asking you something unreasonable…"

Hopefully he'd see it that way too.

"We're both of age, so where we sleep – and whom we sleep with – is hardly anyone's problem."

He was being stubborn, and she didn't really know what else to say to change his mind.

"We're talking about people who care for me and who might think that I did not choose where and whom to sleep with, can't you see?" she asked, exasperated, quite convinced that he did realize what the problem was but merely chose to ignore it.

"Like I'd be so stupid to do something like that when I've been warned that I'd be watched after the trial?"

"And yet you did imprison me here against my will – so what does that say about you?" Hermione asked, knowing she'd score a point with that observation.

"Look, even if Potter and Weasley are not that bright, McGonagall surely is – I'm sure that if she did write to your friends and found out about you getting yourself stuck in a castle, which is the official story, she can add that up with the information that you're in Chateau _Malfoy.._. but who's to say I'm here with you?"

 _Oh_ … Hermione thought. She hadn't thought of that… Of course, just because she was in Malfoy's castle, using his bedroom, it didn't mean he was there with her.

"OK, I hadn't thought of it that way..." but then it hit her. Voice raised, she spoke her fears aloud. "Wait a minute, of course the Headmistress would know you're here with me, didn't you just get a letter too, and of course the address..."

She never got to say the rest of her arguments out loud, as Draco interrupted her with a sigh.

"Merlin, _Granger_ , give it a rest", he said, right before he grabbed her, drawing her into his arms and then he was kissing her… their third kiss, Hermione thought, not that anyone was counting…

And once again, waves of feelings swept her up and before she knew it she was responding to his kiss.

* * *

Ever since she had gotten out of the shower, Draco had wanted to make a grab for her. In fact, even before he had wanted to enter the bathroom, barely resisting that impulse, when he imagined her naked body caressed by the water, steam all around... it was a very erotic image.

He had instructed Mopsy to not bring anything but the strict necessities from his mother's room, therefore Hermione had no choice but to use his shower gel – and the smell of it on her made him want to find other, more satisfying ways of enveloping her in his scent.

And yet what did she choose to speak about? Potter and the Weasel. He had almost lost all his reason when she mentioned that it would be quite normal for her to be located in Weaselbee's bed – that meant they had something going on, or at least that they _used to have_ something going on, as she hadn't seemed all that distraught when she'd seen Weasel with that Patil twin in the enchanted mirror. Yes, Draco had looked over her shoulder and seen what she had seen. It was his mirror, his castle, his prerogative.

In any case, once Hermione had conjured for him the image of her and the Weasel in bed, he knew he'd have to do something extreme in order to erase it and replace it with something good – so eventually he made his move, gathering her into his arms and kissing her again…

The feel of her through the thin gown was exquisite – both pleasurable and painful, and as he pushed his tongue through her unresistant lips, he wondered whether she'd push him away like last time, or not. He hoped not.

He moved his hands up and down her arms, feeling her smooth skin, and then he moved one of his hands in her hair, applying just enough pressure to make her allow him better access to her neck. He kissed his way down her neck, to her collarbone and lower still, enjoying the taste of every delicious inch of her skin…

It was when he reached the straight cut bodice of her nightgown that she finally seemed to have found her voice.

"Draco, please, stooop…."

Despite her words, Hermione's voice held no real denial, only an unacknowledged plea for more, as she basically moaned. He noticed that while her hands were in his hair, as if to stop his head from going lower, she wasn't really trying to restrain his movement.

"I think you mean 'don't stop'", he teased, hooking a finger under her bodice to reveal a white lacy bra.

"I don't _know_ what I mean", she whispered, and as he kissed her breast through the lace, Draco looked up to see that Hermione no longer had both hands in his hair – one was up to her mouth, and she was biting a finger.

The image was so sensual that Draco lost all thoughts of going slowly – in one fluid motion he released her breasts from the bra, and took one in his mouth, and the taste of her hardened nipple, combined with her gasp of pleasure were almost enough to make him explode, he was that heavy with need.

But apparently feeling the cool air on her exposed skin had been enough to wake Hermione up from her trance, because she pushed him aside and covered herself with her hands.

"How dare you!" she spluttered, obviously indignant.

He urgently pressed his palm to her mouth, swearing under his breath when she actually bit him – not hard enough to draw blood, but it was still pretty painful.

"Would you keep your voice down? My mother is just next door."

He released her, and rubbed his finger to ease the pain – hmmm, if she could just tone down her strength a bit, he might not dislike her biting him… but that was a thought for another time, as Draco now had a furious lioness in bed with him – one that _he_ had pissed off…

She had just finished rearranging her clothes when she began her tirade.

"How could you do something like that?" she asked, but in a lower voice this time. "I really thought we were building trust here and that we were friends and then you go and do something…"

Draco had heard enough.

"Don't act like you didn't like it – once again you weren't really protesting, but rather asking me for more, at least with your body, if not your mouth", he said, with a confident smirk that was probably not helping her get over her anger.

"Whether I liked it or not is beside the point – you shouldn't have…"

"I beg to differ – you liking it was the entire point. Besides, I only kissed you to stop your torrent of words, it was late and you weren't keeping your voice down, and like I said, my mother is close by. What happened after the kiss, well, that was just the natural progression of things, wouldn't you agree?"

"I most certainly do not agree, and next time you feel like I talk too much or too loud, you can just say so instead of using underhanded methods", she seethed.

"My method was probably more efficient, but fine, I'll keep that in mind for next time. In any case", he added, trying to get both their minds off of what had just happened, "you took quite a risk there when you bit my finger – you did sort of hurt me so what if it had triggered the undesirable effect of the Unbreakable vow?"

"There was no risk – I only vowed not to harm you with my _wand_ , I said nothing about my teeth or any other part of my body for that matter, and maybe you remember my fist from third year".

She was right, of course, now that he thought about it.

"You came closer to harming me than the other way around, and _your_ vow didn't mention anything about a wand, so be careful how you treat me or risk death…" Hermione was saying and again, she had a point, although in this situation, it didn't really apply.

"I'll say your line back to you – there was no risk, as I didn't harm you, just gave you a little pleasure, is all", Draco said smugly.

"Let's agree to disagree on that, OK? Just don't do it again", she said and turned her back to him.

Draco sighed, but realized he'd just have to let her be for now. He wasn't giving up though. He still had a night or two with her, and he had every intention of picking up from where he left.

"You said it yourself that you don't know what you want - but I won't argue anymore, let's just call it a night for now … Remember what I said before though, you're not going to get any sleep in that position – or if by some miracle you do succeed, you'll have horrible muscle aches in the morning."

She huffed but didn't move, nor did she say anything else.

"Good night", he called, tentatively, but there was no reply.

No matter, Draco thought to himself, he was sure he had given Hermione much to think about, and he was sure that he'd have very pleasant dreams – if he managed to get comfortable enough to actually fall asleep, as the throbbing between his legs might interfere with that.

He could feel the heat radiating off Hermione, it hit him in waves, which meant she was still angry with him, but at least Draco was on her mind – that was important. He'd feel worse if she were able to thoroughly ignore him.

Breathing in her scent (mixed with his, from not just the shower gel now, but their short 'dalliance' too) and feeling her heat close by finally lulled him to sleep.


	12. In the morning after dark

**A/N:** I wish I could have posted this chapter sooner, but alas, it was a busy week, plus I caught a horrible cold that kept me in bed and in no condition to write. I feel somewhat better now though, so I hope to be updating faster – the story is coming close to the end, after all ;)

What did you think of the ending of the previous chapter? Perhaps the scene between Draco and Hermione was too short, but the title of the story does include the word "tease", and I'm afraid that means I have a particular preference for teasing :P So you can expect more of that in this chapter.

One question: how many of you have seen the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (FBWFT) movie? Given that we're all HP fans here, I'm guessing you all watched it, but in any case, some of the information I use in this chapter is taken from the second FBWFT movie. The movie hasn't come out in cinemas yet, so I hope what I write in my story won't contradict what they say in the movie – still, this is fanfiction, so I guess either way works ;)

This chapter is one of the longest ones, sorry about that – I know I said I'd try posting shorter chapters faster rather than the other way around, but old habits are hard to break :P Also, this chapter's title is taken from a song I like very much.

Enjoy your reading!

Oh, and a big thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, follows and/or favors this story. I appreciate the support more than I could possibly tell you, and I'm really happy that you like the story, because that's a dream come true for any writer ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 11 In the morning after dark**

Hermione felt wonderful for some reason, though she had no idea why – she wanted to stretch but discovered her movements were blocked by something and when she opened her eyes to see the obstacle, she almost screamed – somehow during the night she had reverted to what she now named "the usual position" for her nights with 'Beast' Draco: cuddling.

But now she was in the arms of human Draco, and that was a different story altogether. Last night could have led to something really dangerous, is she hadn't regained her senses in time. And Hermione still had no idea how she managed to stop him – for a while she wanted nothing but for him to go on and on and on…

No matter how good it felt, becoming too close to Draco couldn't possibly lead to anything good. He probably just missed female company, and a one night stand was the opposite of what Hermione wanted. What she wanted she would probably never have with Draco – there was just too much bad blood in their past for that, plus he didn't really seem the type to 'settle down'. At least not yet – eventually he'd probably have to, as in he'd probably marry a pure blooded witch based on her lineage, wealth, beauty, etc. So Hermione would never be a candidate anyway…

But what was she doing, contemplating a long term relationship with Draco, when what they had nearly done the previous night was bad enough… And there would be at least one more night to go through until he was back to his nicer (Beast) form.

Sighing, Hermione decided it was time to put the past in the past and make the best of the present moment. So despite loving the feel of being held by Draco, she extracted herself from his arms and got in the shower, hoping the sound of the water wouldn't wake him up.

Of course she had no such luck – when she reentered the room, he was awake. Her first instinct was to apologize for being noisy in the morning, but then she figured it was his fault for convincing her, against her better judgment, to share his room.

Still, manners were important, and she didn't want the friendly relationship they had built prior to the previous night to go to waste. So the best way to go about it was to ignore that anything out of the ordinary had happened.

"Good morning", Hermione said in a pleasant and neutral tone, and without waiting to hear his reply, she hurried to the door to make her escape.

"I regret nothing", he said. "Although you clearly want to pretend like nothing happened."

"I don't have to pretend, because _nothing_ happened", Hermione said, her back to him, her hand on the doorknob.

"Oh, if that was nothing, I want more of it tonight."

He was thoroughly enjoying himself, the cad!

"You can forget it, and just because I haven't hexed you yet, it doesn't mean I won't do it… how did you like it the last time I used the severing charm on your fur? This time I might use it to shave your head, what do you think of that?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"It'd be a pity, my hair is too fair and silky to be removed completely, plus I don't care much for a skinhead look – though I dare say I'd look amazing even like that."

He got out of the bed and to her horror, Hermione noticed that his pajama top had come almost completely unbuttoned during the night, and she could see most of his chiseled chest – and she could barely drag her eyes away. Anger helped, and she was annoyed at his narcissism, although she was sure he was half joking, doing it on purpose to rile her.

"Come any closer and you'll find out exactly how you look without you hair", Hermione said, raising her wand and pointing it at him.

He continued approaching her, though at a very slow pace, almost provoking her to attack.

"Are you sure you want to risk it? What if your hand slips and you cut my skin, therefore breaking the Unbreakable Vow?"

"And how much longer do you think that threat is going to work? Besides, I could always just punch you in the face", she replied hotly.

"We're not in third year anymore – you took me by surprise then, I didn't think you'd be capable of punching someone, let alone punching _me_ , but now that I know, you won't get another chance. I hope you realize that I overpower you, so you won't try anything stupid."

"I don't do _stupid_ ", Hermione replied, but then remembered all their previous kisses and how far she'd let things go and amended to herself that lately she was all about stupid things.

"In any case", she continued, cracking the door open, just to be sure he wouldn't try anything, what with his mother being next door, "I'd rather you forget about last night and you can be sure I won't be sleeping in this room tonight – Mopsy won't mind a bit of extra work, I'll even knit her a cap for her effort."

"She might not mind, but she won't do it if I forbid her to – and I intend to do just that, so save your breath. Besides, are you really going to leave me alone, a victim of my nightmares?"

Hermione doubted he really suffered from nightmares, he hadn't had a single one for the past two weeks – or at least, none that had made him toss and turn or scream out loud.

To be honest, Hermione did have nightmares about Bellatrix Lestrange torturing her, about Harry dead in Hagrid's arms, about Fred and Tonks and Professor Lupin and everyone who died at the Battle of Hogwarts. For the first month after the final showdown she would scream through the night, but lately it had been much better. Perhaps her sleeping with a big fur ball had helped her, rather than him.

"It's pointless to answer since you're going to make it so that I continue sharing the bed with you… I just hope you realize that this means we're not friends anymore – friends, don't force friends to do things against their will."

"That's fine with me, Granger, I don't think we would have worked out as friends anyway…"

Now he tells me? Hermione thought wryly.

"All right then, Malfoy, I'll see you at breakfast – or better yet, I'll have breakfast in the library, while doing useful research. I don't feel like conversing with you or your mother."

She exited the room and slammed the door behind her – which was quite a feat, considering it was a two meter tall door, made of solid wood.

"Mopsy", she called.

"Yes, Miss", said the elf, who apparated next to her and was hurrying to keep up with Hermione's bigger steps.

"Can you please bring me breakfast in the library?"

"Of course, Miss."

"Thank you."

Before the elf disapparated, Hermione saw that Mopsy was wearing a rather fetching dress, and she wondered whether she was trying to impress Narcissa Malfoy. Yesterday, that might have made two of them, but now Hermione didn't care anymore about what the Malfoys thought of her.

Once Mopsy brought her breakfast she ate quickly and then resumed reading – and it wasn't long before she finally had a breakthrough.

* * *

Draco had enjoyed his argument with Hermione – he had teased her on purpose and it had been fun to see her all riled up. It could have been worse, after all, if she'd really insisted sleeping in a different room, he wouldn't have refused her, but she seemed to think him worse than he really was – he wasn't sure whether that was good or bad, but for the moment it served his purposes.

He took his time showering and dressing, knowing that his mother wasn't much of a morning person. He resented having to have breakfast without Hermione, but he needed to give her some space to calm down.

As he apparated in front of the dining room, he noticed the door was slightly ajar – so his mother was probably there, and indeed, as he entered he saw her seated, sipping tea. How she could drink black tea on an empty stomach, Draco had no idea, but it was a habit she'd had forever.

"Good morning, mother. I hope you slept well."

"Good morning, Draco and yes, I did. Should I ask how _you_ slept, or would that be too forward of me?"

"While I'm pleased you're so optimistic about Hermione and me, I'd rather you didn't inquire about us… as long as I'm still cursed, there can't be any developments, so let's just wait and see, OK?"

"All right, I won't ask any more questions about you and your… guest", his mother said. "Will she be joining us this morning or will she be sleeping in?"

"She doesn't sleep in, but she won't join us either – she's having breakfast in the library", Draco answered sourly.

He could tell his mother really wanted to ask him about it, but she didn't.

"Well, then, I'll have to pass by the library after breakfast and salute her, it's only polite to do so. After that we can walk in the garden and talk some more, I want to spend as much time as I can with you these days before I have to go…"

They ate and made small talk in between bites of delicious food, and Draco noticed Mopsy had made the effort to make some of his mother's favorite dishes.

Once they were done, they stopped by the library. Hermione was so absorbed in reading, she didn't hear them come in… or she pretended she didn't hear, Draco thought wryly.

"Good morning", he said and noticed she gave a start, almost dropping the book, which meant she really hadn't heard them come in.

"Good morning, Draco, Mrs. Malfoy", she answered.

"Good morning, Miss Granger"

Before Draco or his mother could say anything else, Hermione was talking.

"I finally found something about your curse, Draco."

Draco froze on the spot at the excitement in her voice. She had definitely found something important.

"What is it?"

"Well, I found information about the Rosier family – it seems like they were particularly good with curses, not just using them, but _inventing_ some of them too. You know, sort of how Professor Snape invented all sort of spells or how he found better ways to mix potions - or rather, you probably don't know, but he did, Harry had his school textbook back in sixth year, that's why he was so good at Potions… oh, and that Sectumsempra spell he hit you with in the bathroom was also one of Professor's Snape's spells – though I hope you do know he only used it because you were going to cast the Cruciatus curse on him, plus Harry didn't know what Sectumsempra did, it was the first and last time he used it…. "

She finally shut up, but it was only for a moment.

"Merlin, I'm babbling. Anyway, back to the point, it appears that among the curses that the Rosier family members came up with throughout their history, there is also a variation of the Maledictus curse."

"The what?" Draco asked. He had no idea what that curse was about, but it didn't sound good at all.

"The Maledictus curse, Draco", his mother said, "it refers to a person who carries cursed blood which will eventually turn him or her into a beast – but if I'm not mistken, didn't someone have to be born with that curse? And wasn't it transmitted only to female members of a family?"

Draco was impressed that his mother knew about that curse, but on the other hand, perhaps it would have been better if she wasn't quite so familiar with dark magic.

"Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a lot of information about the particulars of the Maledictus curse, but from what I did find out, there is a lot more information about the particular variation of the curse that the Rosier family invented - and possibly about a way to reverse the curse – in a book that should be around here somewhere…well, or at least I hope it's here, it could very well be at No.12 Grimmauld Place or else at wherever the Rosier ancestral home is…"

"Why would it be…" Draco started asking, but his mother cut him off.

"She is right – the Malfoy family is only connected to the Rosiers through me, because my mother was Druella Black, nee Rosier" Narcissa said, then continued. "In any case, there could be more copies of the book, one in each of the ancestral houses."

"Mrs. Malfoy, the book I'm looking for is called 'L'histoire foncée de la famille Rosier et ses malédictions', it was written by Reinald Rosier. Do you know anything about its whereabouts?" Hermione asked his mother.

Draco thought the title sounded familiar, but he wasn't sure where he knew it from, if he knew it at all – it could be just his memory playing tricks on him.

"I know the book all too well" his mother was saying, "and there are no copies, it was written by a Rosier as a family book, not to be read by outsiders. Still, you were right the first time – the book should be in here. I remember because my mother's sister-in-law, Walburga Black, asked my mother for that book and she gave it as a gift…"

"Sirius' mother?" Hermione interrupted incredulously.

"Yes, my mother and his were very like-minded. In any case, I married Lucius, and he seemed very interested in the book when I mentioned it once – so after Walburga died, I retrieved the book for him… and he eventually brought it here, as he considered this library a much better place for such a book than the one at Malfoy Manor", Narcissa explained.

"Perfect", Hermione said and called "Accio 'L'histoire foncée de la famille Rosier et ses malédictions'."

Draco looked anxiously around the room, but nothing happened… there was no sound, and no book came out of the shelves and into Hermione's eager hand.

"The book is most likely protected against the Summoning charm – so the only way to find it is to search for it without magic", Narcissa said.

"Well, that's OK too, we'll just look for it – we're bound to find it sooner or later", Draco said excitedly. Finally there was a solid lead!

"There is plenty of time to find the book – not to mention that it's not guaranteed that we'll find a way to break the curse, so please don't get your hopes up", Hermione said. "So for now I'll just read a bit more about the Maledictus curse, and then I'll look for the book myself, you should spend time together, talking."

"Thank you, Miss Granger, that is most considerate of you", his mother said, "then we'll leave you to it."

And Draco had no choice but to accompany his mother, though his thoughts were fixed on the book that might hold his salvation.

* * *

Hermione was relieved that Narcissa Malfoy had confirmed that the book she was looking for must be somewhere in the library – she dreaded to think what would have happened if they had to retrieve it from somewhere else… Draco would be reluctant to go out looking as he did when he was in Beast form, but he probably still wouldn't trust her to go look for the book herself….

Luckily the book was somewhere close and she'd discover it sooner or later. For now she read more about the Maledictus curse, it was important to find out as much as she could about the original form, so that afterwards she could understand the implications of whatever variation the Rosiers had come up with.

Time passed by quicker than anticipated and then it was time for lunch – Mopsy popped up next to her to call her to the dining room.

She joined Draco and his mother, and she asked Narcissa Malfoy a question that was quite important.

"Mrs. Malfoy, do you happen to know whether anyone from the Rosier, Black or Malfoy families ever suffered from the Maledictus curse?"

Hermione knew that was not a proper subject for a meal, but it was important to find out.

"Not that I know of, but I admit I can only refer to recent family members – I was never very passionate about history, other than knowing that my family's blood was as pure as it got. I never considered we might have cursed blood…"

"Why, do you think I'm a Maledictus?" Draco asked in what could only be called a defensive tone.

"It's a possibility, so we should take it into account. However, Rosier hit you with a curse in order for you to turn into a beast, so you didn't turn naturally, plus you didn't turn into an animal, but rather a combination of animals…Also, you can speak while in beast form, which is something a Maledictus can't normally do…And you're not female, so you shouldn't be a Maledictus to begin with", she reasoned.

"I most definitely am male", Draco said, and Hermione almost laughed out loud at his masculine ego. Of course he was male, things would have been so much easier for her if he'd been female.

"So I guess there's no point of reading more about the Maledictus curse – I'll focus my efforts in finding the book, and I'll also continue looking through other books to see if any of them mention variations of this curse."

Having decided that, Hermione ate quickly – though doing her best to look elegant at the same time – and hurried off to the library again.

She spent hours looking for the book, but to no avail. Exhausted, she settled back down in her armchair, with some other book about curses, hoping she might find something useful there.

Hermione was not only tired by then, but she was also troubled by the fading light outside – night was approaching fast and she'd once more have to share the bed with Draco. Would he try something again? Probably. The thought kept her from being able to focus on her reading.

And before she knew it, Draco came to retrieve her and take her to the music room, where once more she was joined by Narcissa at the piano.

Dinner was full of animated talk between Draco and his mother, it was clear they weren't deterred by the fact that she told them she hadn't found the book yet. And perhaps they were right – despite the library being an enormous, two stories room, if the book was there, they had to find it eventually.

Hermione resumed her search after dinner but again, with no results. She eventually got sleepy so she braced herself for another 'confrontation' with Draco and entered his – or rather, their bedroom.

As usual, he was waiting for her, but this time, he didn't have an inviting or seductive look on his face – he was frowning.

"What is it?" she asked

"I didn't ask this before, because I didn't want my mother to be present – in fact, I'm surprised she didn't ask of this herself, but perhaps she already knows the answer and didn't want to tell me."

Hermione waited to hear the question, but she had a pretty good idea what it would be.

"Is there a way to reverse a Maledictus curse? Do you know of any cases where Maledicti were reverted to their human forms?"

And indeed, there it was, _the_ question. She approached the bed and sat down on her side.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Draco…"

She tried answering the second question rather than the first, but he wouldn't be fooled.

"You don't know of any cases or you don't want to tell me that there is no way to reverse the curse?"

Hermione saw no point in lying or trying to hide the truth – it wouldn't do anyone any good.

"There is no known way to revert the Maledictus curse", she said, and saw his stricken look.

"But", she continued in a hopeful tone, "what you're suffering from is an altered version of the curse, it was cast upon you so I'm sure there must be a way to undo the spell, so don't despair, OK?"

Her hand instinctively reached towards him, to caress him, to comfort him, to let him know it'll be OK, she'd find a way to revert him permanently to his human form – but then she dropped it. She had no idea where all this… _tenderness_ was coming from and it scared her.

"I won't despair – for now… but it's not easy to try hope when everything seems set out against you… Tomorrow is my mother's last day here, so once she leaves, I'll help you with the search."

"Well, you never know, I might find the book tomorrow. Mopsy has been helping me search, by the way, though she couldn't dedicate a lot of time to it – she really wants to impress your mother so she's making sure everything is extra clean and that the food is the best."

"Good old Mopsy – I have to get her a new dress soon. In fact, I think I'll send her shopping once my mother leaves. She can get her dress and she can also buy our school books and all the stuff we'll need for the new year."

Hermione was pleased to hear him talk about the following year at Hogwarts – it was obvious he still had hope that the curse would be broken by the start of the new term.

"Wonderful – I'll make a list of what I need tomorrow", she said, but then realized there would be a problem. "Wait, I haven't any money – well, I think I have a couple of sickles and perhaps a galleon or two, but they're in the pockets of the jeans that you haven't returned to me yet – not to mention that in any case it won't be enough to pay for all the stuff I need!"

Hermione was quite distraught about it, but Draco didn't let her fret for long.

"After making you help me with breaking my curse, the least I can do is get you whatever you need for the new term, wouldn't you say?"

Well, money wasn't a problem for the Malfoys, that much was true, but Hermione didn't like to be indebted to him.

"But I need a new set of crystal phials, not to mention potion ingredients like unicorn hair, syrup of Hellebore, nightshade,…"

"Not only do I think we probably have all of that in the potion room downstairs, but even if we don't, it won't be a problem buying everything – like my mother also told you, the Malfoys are indebted to you and a couple of galleons won't even begin to cover that debt."

Hermione supposed he was right, but she still wasn't completely happy with the situation. In any case, she could always pay him back once they were at Hogwarts.

"OK then, thank you", she finally conceded.

She started to get up from the bed to go take a shower, but his hand shot out and caught her by the arm. While his grip was firm, he wasn't hurting her – just restraining her.

"What?" she asked, fearing what he might have in mind – but when she looked at him, his expression seemed vulnerable.

"Don't go. Stay with me."

"I will, once I've taken a shower and changed…"

"Never mind that", he said, pulling her down on the bed. With his other hand he used his wand to put out the candles, and the room was dark, only very faint moonlight coming through the window.

He was pulling her into his arms, and Hermione protested right from the start this time.

"Draco, no! I already said we're not friends, in fact I should be calling you Malfoy but I figured that despite your not so good behavior, we'd need to get along, so I was willing to forget last night but that doesn't mean…"

He cut her off.

"Galloping gargoyles, Granger, stop talking. I don't have any nefarious intentions, I just want to hold you tonight…"

Hermione was surprised – she hadn't expected _that._ And it seemed like she was even weaker to resist a tender Draco than an aggressive one…. So she let him gather her in his arms, and rejoiced in the feel of his chin on top of her head, his chest under her cheek, and her arms on his…. his arms on hers.

Before she knew it, she was asleep.

* * *

Draco woke up with Hermione in his arms and for once she appeared to still be asleep – usually she was the one who got up first, though he always woke up when she started squirming to get free of his arms.

He looked at her face, at her delicate features that were so dear to him now, and he wondered whether his dream of sharing a life with her, waking up with her every morning, would ever come true. Draco knew it was improbable, but not impossible…

If his curse was a variation of the Maledictus curse, there were few chances that he'd ever be rid of it – and then he was sentenced to live a life of solitude… well, he'd probably move back to Malfoy Manor, as now it was clear his mother accepted him as he was. And his father probably did too, if his efforts on Draco's behalf were any indication. But it would be a truly cursed life, and he dreaded the thought.

He gently removed a strand of hair from Hermione's face, and she murmured something in her sleep, snuggling closer to him. He was quite happy with that, so he closed his arms around her tighter, so that he could feel her pressed to him – and that was both pain and delight for Draco, but he didn't get a chance to do more than that because he felt her stirring.

As usual, he pretended to be asleep and allowed her escape to the bathroom. He lingered in bed, thinking about how much longer Potion no. 220 would keep him human for. He probably only had today, if that, so he wanted to make the best of it.

Draco had enjoyed the previous day immensely – he had spent a lot of time with his mother, and it had done him a world of good, though on the other hand he missed spending his days with Hermione. There would be plenty of time for that too, though.

And speak of the witch, she exited the bathroom, dressed in a red fit and flare dress that looked very fetching on her. He didn't get to admire her for long, as she sped out of the room, probably to get some more searching done before breakfast.

He took a shower, dressed, and apparated in the dining room, where his mother was already seated at the table.

After the usual greetings, his mother informed him about her plan for the day.

"I plan to leave before noon today, Draco – so I suggest that after breakfast we take one last walk into the rose garden so I can admire your beautiful magic on the flowers, and we can also talk some more. But once we've said our goodbyes, I want you to send Miss Granger to me – I want to have a word with her too."

What could she possibly want to tell Hermione, Draco wondered, but he was prevented from asking by her appearance in the dining room. One look at her face told him that she still hadn't found the book… that didn't leave him in a mood to make conversation and breakfast went by in relative silence.

The walk in the garden was pleasant, but Draco didn't really want to say goodbye to his mother… It felt good to have her with him for the past couple of days, and he wished he were human and they'd still be living together at Malfoy Manor…

But for now, he had to remain here, and try to figure out a way to break the curse, and at least he had Hermione – and Mopsy – for company.

"Well, Draco, now that we've said our goodbyes, do fetch Miss Granger for me."

"I will, mother, but what…?"

He wanted to ask her what she wanted to talk to Hermione about.

"I won't tell you what I want to discuss with her, that is between Miss Granger and me."

When she was like that, there was no changing her mind.

He apparated in the library, and Hermione didn't even look at him, she was upset and it was clear that it was due to still not finding the book.

"I think it's time to take a break", he told her.

"And I think I have to keep searching – I haven't covered even the 20th part of this library. I thought that it being so big was a good thing, but now I see how it can be a serious disadvantage if you're looking for a book that can't be summoned."

She sounded quite dispirited, so Draco hoped that whatever his mother wanted to talk to her would cheer her up, not upset her further.

"I'll continue the search in your place – my mother wants to talk with you."

"She does?! Whatever for?"

"I asked, but she wouldn't tell me", Draco ruefully admitted. "Still, if I were you, I wouldn't keep her waiting…"

He meant that last remark as a joke, to rile her up and get her out of her despondent disposition, but she didn't react as he expected her to.

"Fine – I've covered these shelves", she said as she indicated with her hand several big bookshelves on the western side of the library, "so you can start with this one." Again she pointed and then she disapparated.

He searched the bookshelves, but only halfheartedly. He had a feeling he had seen that book before, but where and when? Could he have already skimmed through it and missed the Maledictus curse information?

Draco didn't know how much time he spent looking at books, but eventually he felt a push against his wards, which meant his mother was ready to leave. He lowered the wards and discarded the enchantments, and then he looked out the window, in time to see his mother disapparating. He hid the castle once more, and when he turned away from the widow, Hermione was there.

He tried to figure out what his mother might have told her from the expression on her face, but she was just slightly frowning, as if preoccupied… that didn't tell him much other than the fact that his mother had given her food for thought.

And talking about food….

"I think we'd better have lunch before we continue our search, what do you say?" he asked her.

She merely nodded and they walked to the dining room in silence.

* * *

Hermione realized she was being extremely quiet and Draco was probably worried, but she couldn't help it, what Narcissa Malfoy had told her was deeply unsettling. She remembered the conversation.

" _Thank you for joining me, Miss Granger."_

" _What is it that you want to tell me?"_

" _Just that I've never seen Draco regard anyone in such high esteem – well, perhaps Lucius, a long time ago, but not anymore. And also, that it is not only admiration that he has for you… I realize this is not a proper subject for a conversation, and I don't want to be indiscreet, but my son feels a lot of affection for you, and I think that is a very good thing – for both of you."_

" _How do you mean?"_

" _The wizarding world has entered a new era, now that the Dark Lord is gone – an era of peace and hopefully of settling aside former differences. That being said, I hope we can forget the past, and that you and Draco will continue your… friendship, and know that you have my blessings."_

" _Umm… thank you, I guess… "_

" _I'm sure you don't know this, but I married Lucius for love, and he loves me back. It was a convenient marriage, true, we were similar in terms of nobility, purity of blood, fortune, and so on, but that wasn't why we married – we simply fell in love with each other, and after all this time and despite the hardships we went through, especially during the past couple of years, we still love each other very much."_

" _While I think that's great, I don't see what it has to do with me…"_

" _I'm simply saying that love is very important in one's life, and that it can spring from both familiar places, like it was with Lucius and me, or from stranger places…. And it's important not to dismiss it just because it's strange, or because it seems impossible."_

" _Are you, by any chance, suggesting that Draco and I are more than friends? If this is because you know we've been sharing a bedroom, let me assure you it's strictly…"_

" _Platonic, yes, Draco has informed me. However, should your 'friendship' ever evolve into more, I would be quite pleased. Draco has only ever been mean to you because of us and what misplaced values we passed on to him, but he's changed and he's still changing, and he has a great potential that I'm sure he'd reach with you by his side."_

"…"

" _Thank you again for everything you've done and you're still doing for my family. Farewell!"_

And Hermione had found herself alone, mouth gaping at the incredible things Narcissa Malfoy had told her.

Was it possible Draco actually felt for her something other than pure lust, something which she had always assumed was due to a lack of option, not because he would actually choose her, if he had alternatives…?

She definitely had feelings for Draco, feelings that seemed to be growing by the day, but what those feelings were, she didn't really know…

Before she could analyze her feelings any further, Draco spoke.

"I would like to have news of my father – that is to say, I'd like you to look at him in the enchanted mirror and tell me what you see…"

She hadn't expected him to broach such a subject, so this temporarily got her mind off of Narcissa Malfoy's words.

"Of course, we can do that right after lunch, if you're sure", she said cautiously. Hermione felt that his emotions must be too much in turmoil after his mother's departure to deal with his father too, but it was his choice, not hers.

"I'm sure."

He sounded determined, so after lunch they went to the library, and Draco asked Mopsy to bring him the mirror. The elf quickly complied, and Hermione took the mirror in her hand, her wand in the other, and said out loud "Show me Lucius Malfoy."

The mirror came to life, and she saw Draco's father – as expected, he was in an Azkaban cell, and he looked quite drained of power. However, there was a fire burning in his eyes, as he intently read a book. Hermione couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like it was 'Where there's a wand, there's a way'". All in all, he seemed OK, all things considered – well, he seemed to be muttering something to himself, and that wasn't such a good sign, but perhaps he was saying the incantations in the book out loud, she couldn't tell, as the mirror didn't convey sound.

"Well?" Draco was asking. "How is he?"

"He's OK, Draco – in fact, I think he is trying to find a way to break your curse. He seems to be looking through one of the books I also researched during the first days when I got here. You should probably look for yourself…" she said hesitantly, not wanting him to think she was pushing him before he was ready.

But he reached his hand and she passed him the mirror and then he was looking raptly at his father, and Hermione felt tears in the corner of her eyes. She remembered how hard it had been for her when her parents were in Australia, their memories of her forgotten. It was horrible for parents and children to be apart.

"Thank you", he said. "Now let's get back to looking for that bloody book."

She sensed he didn't want to talk about seeing his father, so she nodded and for the next couple of hours, they searched and searched, but didn't find the book – true that they still had a huge part of the library left unchecked… but there was still time.

That evening, when it was time for her to play the piano, she decided to forgo classical composers, and opt for modern ones, like Harry Gregson-Williams, Alexandre Desplat, Carter Burwell, John Williams, Howard Shore, Hans Zimmer, Brian Tyler… Rather than playing a couple of long pieces, she chose many short songs and Draco seemed to enjoy that very much.

But he was quite lost in thoughts during dinner, and Hermione saw to her food as she didn't want to interrupt him. He went straight to bed, while she searched for the missing book a while longer, but eventually she joined him in the master bedroom.

This time he wasn't in bed when she entered the room – and she only saw him in the darkness of the room (another first, as usually he kept the candles lit) because he was standing by the window. The moonlight made his hair shine both gold and silver, but his eyes seemed sad as he turned and looked at her.

"There are fireflies again", he said softly, and Hermione felt compelled to go to him – stopping only when they were close enough for their shoulders to touch.

True enough, there were dozens of fireflies out there, but Hermione couldn't really take in the beauty of the picture they made. She was focused on the person next to her, feeling his eyes on her.

And then with a sound of yearning, he turned her towards him and kissed her, and this time his kiss held such desperation for contact, for closeness, for affection, that Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to stop him.

Still kissing her, he walked them back towards the bed, where they collapsed together, and at the contact of him on top of her, Hermione suddenly felt as if her whole body was on fire. Before she knew what she was doing, she was responding to his kiss with a desperation that matched his, and Hermione stopped wondering where it would all lead. It was good to let go… or to let one's hair down, she thought bemusedly, as she remembered Professor McGonagall's words about the Yule Ball… and then she thought no more.

* * *

His mother leaving as well as seeing his father in Azkaban had a powerful impact on Draco. He felt sad, he felt lost, but he also felt that if there was any hope to be had, then his hope was Hermione. So although he knew he was showing her a part of him he usually kept hidden – his vulnerable part – Draco reached for Hermione, trying to convey how much he truly needed her.

And she seemed to understand, because she kissed him back, and she did it as intensely as he was kissing her. Emboldened by her response, he started undoing the buttons of the dress she was wearing – and silently thanking his lucky star that it was a rare button down dress of his mother's, rather than her usual ones, which all had rather complicated ribbons that he wasn't sure he could untie.

To his delight, Hermione's hands also came up, timidly at first, but then she started undoing the buttons on his shirt quite quickly, and before long he was shirtless and she was left in her undergarments… and Draco's hands were still, for a change, as he admired her beautiful body – her light skin seemed to glow in the dim moonlight, her breasts were small but round and firm and he couldn't wait to release them from the bra, her legs were slim and perfectly shaped and he wanted nothing but to go over their length with his hands, with his tongue….

The most beautiful part of her, though, remained her face, which was now flushed with color, and her eyes sparkled with the same excitement he felt. She was biting her lower lip, so he decided he wanted to do that too - he lowered his head and bit lightly into that lip of hers, and she moaned and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, well, that and her piano playing.

He decided that if she liked biting, he'd do more of it, as he enjoyed it too – so he lightly nipped her earlobe, then her neck, but just as he was lowering her head towards her mouthwatering breasts… he felt a familiar pain and burning feeling.

NOT NOW! he thought desperately, but it was no use – he barely had time to get off of Hermione and off the bed, before the change happened and he was back to being a beast.


	13. The missing book and the deadline

**A/N:** So I know I interrupted Hermione and Draco again at the end of the previous chapter – it's the teasing, remember? They'll get their chance eventually, but not quite yet :P

This chapter covers pretty much the remaining weeks that our two main characters have together – getting us this much closer to the exciting end. The time that passes and what happens during those weeks is seen mostly through Hermione's musings.

The title of the chapter is revealing – the missing book is found and that, combined with the arrival of the 30th of August, bring about dramatic events.

One observation: although the original Beauty and the Beast story is the French one, I got my inspiration from the 1991 Disney animation, which is somewhat different, but equally amazing! :) Also, I came up with a third version of the fairy tale, shorter, but also interesting in my opinion, and I hope you'll agree once you've read it ;)

As it is, I know I am leaving you with quite the cliffhanger, and I'm sorry that the next update will probably be after I return from my trip (sometime around the 15th of October, perhaps a couple of days sooner) – still, I hope you'll find it was worth it ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 12 The missing book, the deadline and the broken curse**

Hermione felt bereft when Draco suddenly got off the bed… she didn't know what happened, but she got up too, pulling the sides of her dress together so that she was covered, more or less.

Why he had stopped, she didn't know, but then she looked at his face and his pained expression told her he was turning back into the Beast.

She waited until the transformation was complete, before she came up to him and although he turned his back to her, Hermione still wrapped her arms around his chest, in a gesture that was supposed to convey her feelings of wanting to comfort him.

Perhaps it was for the best that it was in that particular moment that Draco changed back into his beast form – of course, _he_ wouldn't see it that way, but Hermione was glad that things didn't go any further. She was sure it would have felt wonderful for the moment, but what would have happened in the morning?

She let go of him, and got back into the bed, without a word… she didn't really know what to say and she hoped her hug had offered him at least a small measure of solace. Hermione was thankful he didn't have another bout of temper, although his silence was somehow even worse.

But eventually he got in the bed and Hermione didn't comment when he drew her back into his now furry arms. She settled even closer into his embrace and then exhaustion took over, though she was sure it would be much harder for Draco to fall asleep.

The next morning she awoke to find him staring at her… yet another first, as he was usually asleep when she woke - either that, or he was pretending to still sleep, as she sometimes suspected, judging by how hard it was to dislodge his arms from around her so that she could get out of bed.

"Good morning", she said warily, not knowing what his intense gaze meant and what mood he was in.

"Good for you, maybe", he growled, "because I find it to be a rather 'beastly' morning."

She should have seen that one coming, Hermione thought.

"Well, if you wouldn't be such a beast when you're human, maybe you wouldn't transform back into a real beast quite so fast", she replied tartly, although she realized that whatever had happened the previous night had not been beastly behavior on his part – it had been completely consensual.

"Oh, give it a rest, will you?" he said, as he plopped back down on his pillow.

"I will, as soon as you stop pouting over your transformation – let's not forget we have a lot of search and research to do today", Hermione said as she got out of bed, and headed towards the bathroom.

"Splendid, more useless work", he said despondently.

"If you really thought it was useless, you wouldn't do it", she pointed out, "so stop acting spoiled and make sure that by the time I get out of the bathroom you have a better attitude."

She closed the bathroom door behind her, but not before hearing something along the lines of "annoying, bossy, patronizing,…" which probably continued for a while after she exited the room, but Hermione turned on the water and forgot all about it as she went through her plans for the day.

After breakfast she'd write the list of supplies she needed for school, and then she'd continue searching for the book, while instructing Draco – if he was willing to cooperate – to assist her, so that they covered more ground.

Hermione put on a yellow slash neck, off shoulders, half sleeved dress that came down to just below her knees, then exited the bathroom. Draco was still in bed, but he seemed to have calmed down - sometimes his beast face was hard to read, but Hermione was usually pretty good at guessing.

"I'm sorry about being such a grouch – I just hoped my transformation would last a little bit longer. If you remember, we had something going on at the moment and it was quite frustrating to have to stop out of the blue…"

His voice was suggestive, but Hermione did not want to acknowledge what had happened.

"As long as you realize we have to move on and do our day's work, I won't complain. See you at breakfast."

She exited the room and considered for a moment before she apparated in the dining room. Initially Hermione had wanted to do some searching before breakfast, but found she wasn't ready to start working on an empty stomach.

Over at the long table that dominated the dining room, Mopsy was just finishing placing plates filled with delicious smelling food.

"Good morning, Mopsy", she greeted the elf as she sat down at the table.

"Good morning, Miss. Mopsy is just finished with serving breakfast", the elf squeaked.

"Wonderful, but don't go yet, I have a request for you."

"Yes, Miss", the elf said, her ears pointed as she awaited orders.

"Would you please take my few belongings back to the room next to the master bedroom?"

"Right away, Miss", said the elf and disapparated.

As Narcissa was gone, Hermione wanted to go back to what had previously been her room, so as to put some form of distance between Draco and herself. Even if she'd continue sleeping in the same bed with him, she preferred using a separate bathroom, and just having some space for herself.

And speak of the … beast – Draco entered the dining room a moment later, and while they ate Hermione explained to him how they could divide the library sections between them, so that they would be the most efficient in their search. She was pleased when he agreed, so once they finished eating they went to the library.

And for the next two months, they pretty much resumed their routine from before Narcissa Malfoy's visit. They'd cuddle together through the night, they'd have breakfast, then they'd search for the book and research other materials until lunch. They had a short walk in the garden after they ate, but then it was back to searching and researching and only during the evening did they head to the music room, for the short escape from worries that the piano provided. They had dinner together and then spent several more hours in the library before they headed to bed.

The only problem was their lack of results. The bloody book seemed to have disapparated… it was not to be found…. and none of the other books they read offered any help. As June, then July passed, they had searched almost the entire library, and still no sign of the book they were looking for, nor did they find a way to break the curse in any other of the books that they read during that time.

Despite the lack of results, Hermione enjoyed her time at Chateau Malfoy. She loved reading books, and she thrived when she had something to research or a problem to solve, and she had both in this case – not to mention the fact that the time spent with Draco was very pleasant. Every other day she'd find out something interesting about him while they talked during their afternoon walk in the rose garden, or at other times she'd share something from her life with him and that created a bond between them that wasn't there before.

Still, as August began, Draco's temper became worse by the day. The clock was ticking, and although Hermione was growing nervous too, she knew that it was Draco that had the most to lose if they failed… she had every intention of continuing her search for a way to break the curse even after she left the castle, but telling that to Draco only made him angrier still.

He snapped at her, he snapped at Mopsy, he even threw books across the library when they turned out useless for their quest – and Hermione was very upset with him for this blatant disregard for those tomes of knowledge, even if they were easily fixed with 'Reparo'. Just because a book didn't have a solution for him, didn't mean it didn't contain a lot of other useful information, and Hermione felt sure she wouldn't even have to worry about her N.E.W.T.s at the end of her last year at Hogwarts – she'd ace them for sure, considering how much reading she'd done.

In any case, Draco wasn't the only one having tantrums and being more ill-disposed by the day. Hermione wasn't completely happy either – she really missed her family and friends, not to mention Crookshanks, and she had also missed important birthdays: Harry's at the end of July and, more recently, Ginny's birthday as well! She had pleaded with Draco to let her write to them – at least short notes, but he wouldn't hear of it.

Not only that, but Hermione was still worried about what Professor McGonagall might have said to her friends… especially as she would be reunited with them in about two weeks and they'd definitely confront her and she'd have no good explanation… In passing she even thought about Ron and whether Padma Patil had continued "helping" him after they returned to the UK.

In any case, she had bigger problems – like the fact that despite Draco's increasingly bad attitude, Hermione felt more affection for him as time went by, because she understood him, and knew that he wasn't a bad person – but rather, he was a good person who had gone through a lot of bad stuff.

And in any case, 'affection' was a mild word – she felt like she'd lose a part of herself if he decided not to go to Hogwarts when the new term started… the very idea of not seeing him, perhaps ever again, was enough to send severe pain throughout her entire body… and it frightened her, because she had never had such strong feelings before, for anyone...

But she couldn't dwell on these feelings to try to sort them out, as there was something else tugging at her soul: she felt _so_ bad for not being able to find a way to break the curse after all that time spent researching – then again, how was she expected to do that, when she couldn't even find a book? True enough that even with both of them searching, plus the help from Mopsy whenever she could, they still haven't found it…

And soon the last two weeks of August passed as well and time was up…

* * *

Draco was angry… and desolate…and mad… and depressed… and all in all, in a very bad mood. He had no idea how, but somehow time had simply flown by and before he knew it the 30th of August was upon him. He couldn't believe that he was still as cursed as he had been on that last day of his trial.

Sure, he'd enjoyed the time he'd spent with Hermione, researching for ways to break the curse or simply looking for the blasted 'L'histoire foncée de la famille Rosier et ses malédictions'. They didn't have any results to show for their work, but having her by his side kept his hope alive. Also, he loved their daily walks in the garden, when they'd talk and get to know each other better. The piano recitals were also amazing, but that was exactly the problem.

The past two months had been incredible, and yet now he was going to be left alone – with no one to help him research, no one to share his meals with, no one to walk in the garden with, no one to play the piano for him – and, of course, no one to hug during the night… And he would still be a beast – unable to go to Hogwarts, while Hermione will be reunited with all her friends, Weaselbee included…

Draco tried not to take that thought further, or the rest of the castle might end up as trashed as the western tower after the first time he transformed back into a beast while only having been back as a human for very little.

He tried to focus on the present – it was the last day he had with Hermione, and he was lucky he had today, as she had agreed to stay with him till sundown, and then apparate at her parents' place. It was unlikely that she'd come up with a way to break his curse today of all days, but she had insisted to make that best of that last day. Knowing her, she was probably already speedily eating breakfast so that she could go to the library as soon as possible.

He apparated in the dining room, and, sure enough, there she was, already eating. They hadn't said much to each other that morning, and Draco imagined that just like him, Hermione had no idea what to say in the present circumstances.

"I'm done", she said, putting her fork down, "but you can take your time and join me in the library when you're done."

"You know what? I think I'll join you now – I find I don't have much of an appetite this morning", he said in what he hoped would be a calm tone, but something must have given him away, because Hermione seemed to be pitying him, and that was something he did not want.

"We can go, if you're ready", he said, gesturing toward the doors, and she sat up from the table and led the way to the library.

But apparently there was a lot on her mind as well, because not twenty steps into the room, Hermione stumbled over a book that was lying on the floor. Draco tried to catch her, but before he could do that, she managed to break her fall by latching onto the armrest of the armchair that he usually sat in while researching.

"Are you ok?" he asked, because though she seemed not to have hit anything, she was frozen on the spot.

"Hermione?" he called again, placing his paw gently on her shoulder.

Instead of answering, she let herself slip down to sit on the floor, a shocked expression on her face, as she seemed to be looking at something that was underneath the armchair.

"What is it?" Draco insisted, this time, giving her shoulder a little shake.

To his dismay she started laughing, and she laughed and laughed, tears forming at the corner of her eyes, and Draco waited it out, thinking that the intense research of the past couple of months combined with not finding a way to break his curse must have finally made her break down.

When she finally stopped laughing, she reached underneath the armchair and pulled out a book, then held it out to him, so he could see the title.

'L'histoire foncée de la famille Rosier et ses malédictions'

"It was here the entire time", Hermione said, still shaking with suppressed laughter.

Draco was too stunned to answer.

"And you don't know the half of it…" he whispered, but she heard him.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that I've already looked over this book, back when you had just arrived – probably the day after you arrival… ", Draco said and he saw her jaw drop, but he continued, "and after skimming through it, I decided it was some dark magic tome that was completely unrelated to my curse and therefore useless…"

"But how come you didn't read it more thoroughly? You knew what was at stake!" Hermione said, her voice incredulous.

"Well, I picked it up at random, and I wasn't really reading it because I chanced upon it right before I first tried the potion that changed me back into human form – I hope you can see how my mind was preoccupied with something else…"

"Ok, you were preoccupied at the moment, but why didn't you continue reading it more closely after the entire incident?!"

"I would have thought the answer obvious – I dropped the book, it fell under the armchair and I forgot all about it due to the excitement of the transformation, not to mention the despair that followed when I reverted to beast form."

"Too bad we told Mopsy not to clean up the books in the library – if we'd let her, she would have found the book _ages_ ago", Hermione was saying, "but I never thought something like this could happen, I figured it was more important to keep track of which books I was reading and to leave them in their place, even on the floor, so as not to mix them up…"

Draco was only half listening to her – he couldn't believe his bad luck… all this time could have been saved… but what use was it to think of that now?

"Never mind though", Hermione said, as if reading his mind, "I'll read through it and see whether I can find something useful. In the meantime", she continued, just as Draco started to sit down by her armchair to watch her read the infamous book, "you'll continue researching other books – don't even think about wasting your time watching me read."

Draco had to smirk at her comment – they had come to know each other so well in the past couple of weeks, that they did seem to read each other's mind at times. Or at least, she definitely had him figured out… Draco wasn't sure he could say the same about her.

"Fine, I guess there are a couple of books left in the library that we haven't read thoroughly. I'll get started on them."

With a nod of approval, Hermione's head disappeared behind the tome, and Draco sat down in his own armchair and tried to focus on what he was reading. Hard to do, when at that very moment Hermione might be figuring out the way to save him from his predicament...

He had no idea how much time had passed – in his state of nervousness, despite hearing the grandfather clock chime, he couldn't focus on counting the chimes… but eventually Hermione gasped, and he looked up at her.

"What?" he had to ask.

"I found something… but let me read everything first, and then I'll tell you", she said, her eyes not leaving the page she was on.

Waiting was torture, but Draco did his best, and after a small infinity, Hermione finally sighed and looked up from the book.

"Well?" again he had to prompt, as she didn't seem inclined to start talking yet and that wasn't a good sign – but he couldn't wait a moment longer, he _had_ to know.

* * *

Hermione was in a pinch. Initially she had felt _so_ relieved when she found the book hidden under the armchair that she had laughed until her sides hurt – but now, she was afraid that it had all been for nothing.

She had read and reread the pages related to Draco's curse. It was, indeed, a variation of the Maledictus curse, the incantation for it was 'Bestia verto', just like Draco had told her – so far, the story checked out… key word being 'story'. Because Draco's curse had everything to do with the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale – well, called 'La Belle et la Bête' in original French. Unfortunately, the way to break the curse was exactly the same as in the fairy tale – and Hermione didn't think that was accurate information…

"Well?" Draco was asking, and Hermione couldn't keep her silence any longer, knowing how curious he must be – she had to tell him everything and leave it to him to decide whether it was true or not.

"I'm afraid it's a long story, but you'll have to bear with me as I tell you all about it, without interrupting me, as you'll get your say when I finish – in fact, I am curious to hear your opinion."

Hermione saw him nod his agreement, so she continued.

"Just as we suspected, your curse is a variation of the Maledictus curse… an old curse that ran in bloodlines, but apparently back in the thirteenth century, a member of the Rosier family came up with this variation that turns a person – any person into a beast. It was a witch called Mireille Rosier who invented this curse, and she did it because she wanted to punish a muggle."

"Apparently Mireille was very beautiful and also incredibly vain about her looks… but she was also very skilled in dark magic, and she used most of her time creating all sort of dreadful potions and spells. She offered her services of poisoning, hexing, jinxing and probably killing as well, to witches, wizards and muggles alike, whoever paid her…"

"One day she was paid by a muggle named Jacques Roche to attack another muggle, Tierri Bellerose, who had stolen the heart of his fiancée. Mireille intended to hit him with her own version of a stinging jinx – one that would last forever – but then she saw Tierri, who was incredibly handsome… and fell in love at first sight."

Draco snorted, but he went back to being perfectly quiet once Hermione threw him her _look_ – the one she had perfected ever since first year with Ron and Harry when they kept on interrupting her when she was trying to explain about Nicolas Flamel and the philosopher's stone.

"In any case, it probably wasn't love, but rather an obsession, because she writes that despite wholeheartedly believing in blood purity, she could think of nothing other than him… she started stalking him first, then she talked to him and tried to get under his skin – but to no avail."

"Eventually Tierri told her that his heart belonged to another, and that even if that wasn't so, he wouldn't look at her twice. Offended to her very core, Mireille asked how could he not love her, when she was so beautiful, but he told her that he knew her reputation, and had friends who had suffered from her potions and spells and therefore he knew that despite her appearance, she was truly ugly on the inside."

"Incensed at being called ugly, and brokenhearted at the same time, Mireille decided to make sure Tierri himself would become a monster that no one could ever love, not even the one he claimed to love – Valérie Carville, the woman Jacques Roche said was his fiancée."

"So she worked day and night on coming up with this variation of the Maledictus curse – she called it Maledictus Bête, and she wasn't satisfied to just curse him, she also transfigured all of his servants into household objects, although they retained the ability to think and speak."

"You see, Tierri Bellerose was a nobleman who lived in a castle and was served by many people who were incredibly loyal to him, because he was a very good person who treated them kindly. So Mireille wanted to punish them as well… the only one she didn't punish was Valérie, because Mireille wanted her to see Tierri and to run away screaming. On a parting note she told him that the only way to break the curse she placed on him and his servants was for him to find someone who loved him despite his monstrous look."

"This is where Mireille's notes end, because as it turns out, she died that very same night, as she tried another experimental spell that went wrong – she was probably already weakened by using so much magic to curse Tierri and his entire household…. She never had a chance to see how the events unfolded with Tierri and Valérie and the servants…"

"The story is continued by Mireille's nephew – a wizard named Aloysius Rosier. He was nothing like his aunt, in fact he had been estranged from her and only returned to France for her funeral. He discovered her notes and horrified by what she had done, he went straight away to Tierri Bellerose's castle, to try and undo what his aunt had done."

"However, when he got there, he found nothing amiss: Tierri was human, and so were his servants – what's more, he had married Valérie, and they were as happy as can be. Aloysius suspected his aunt had lied about her curse, but then again, why would she do that? So he had to ask – and Tierri told him that indeed, he had been cursed, but that Valérie had saved him and his servants by looking past his hideous appearance and recognizing the man she loved. So the curse was broken the very next day after Mireille's death."

"Glad that the situation was sorted out, Aloysius asked whether anyone had seen him and his household while they were under the curse, because on the way to the castle he had heard people gossiping in shocked tones about beasts and whatnot. Tierri told him that indeed, some people had come to the castle during the day when they were all still cursed, and that's how the rumors started."

"Worried about people persecuting innocent witches and wizards due to his aunt's recklessness, Aloysius asked Tierri whether he'd be willing to reassure everyone that he and his servants were all rehearsing for a play – and Aloysius told him he'd give him a script so that they could actually prove it should someone become suspicious. Tierri agreed, and soon enough Aloysius wrote the script – it is what I know as the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale from muggle children's storybooks."

"He changed the facts though, and I can only figure that it was due to the fact that not wanting to alarm people about the wickedness of magic, he preferred to make the witch in the story one of the good characters. The fairy tale goes that the beautiful prince was the one who was arrogant and vain and he turned away a haggard old lady who sought shelter from the storm, even though she offered him a rose in return for her stay."

"When she saw how ugly and cold his heart was, the old lady changed back into her original form, that of a beautiful enchantress, and she cursed him and his servants - just like it really happened, she transforms him into a beast and his servants into household objects. The enchantress hexes the rose and warns him that, unless he learns to love another and earns their love in return by the time the last petal falls, he and his servants will lose their humanity forever."

"Aloysius mentions that the whole rose idea came from Tierri's surname, Bellerose, which as I'm sure you know means 'beautiful rose' in French. He also took the first part of his surname, 'Belle' for his main female character, a young girl who exchanges her freedom for her father's, whom the Beast had caught in his castle. Well, you can read the fairy tale if you want all the details, but long story short is that in time, Belle and the Beast fall in love, and just as the last petal of the rose falls down, she says she loves him and the spell is broken and, typical for fairy tales, they all live happily ever after – well, except for the bad guy, who dies, but I haven't told you about him so never mind…" she ended lamely, realizing she was babbling and that Draco's expression was quite dark.

"And?" his voice was a low growl and he suddenly stood up. looking very intimidating.

"W…w…what do you mean?" Hermione stammered. "That was it…"

"It can't be... I waited patiently for you to tell me that Aloysius reviewed his aunt's notes on the curse and figured out what really broke it – and you're telling me there's nothing more? That the cure really was …love?"

Hermione noticed that his voice held, at the same time, a hefty amount of both disbelief and anger.

"I'm afraid so", she said.

"So you expect me to believe that this stupidity is my only salvation? To love and be loved?!"

"I'm reluctant to believe it myself, but Professor Dumbledore always said that love is the greatest magic ever…and there is proof of it, seeing as it saved Harry's life twice – once, when his mom died for him rather than let Voldemort kill him, and the second time it was when your mom lied to Voldemort due to her love for you…"

Draco didn't say anything but she could tell he was trying very hard to suppress his rage and not let it boil over.

"And talking about Voldemort", Hermione continued, realizing she was still babbling, but unable to control her nervousness, "this story is somewhat similar to the one about his parents – but then you don't know it, do you? Voldemort's mother was a witch, and she fell in love with a muggle, Tom Riddle Sr. … but he was handsome and she was not and he didn't love her, so she used a love potion on him… I wonder why Mireille didn't use a love potion – probably because she didn't really love him, she was just obsessed and then he made the error of offending…"

Hermione came to a stop as Draco suddenly turned away from her and went to the windows. Finally he spoke.

* * *

Draco felt, once again, how it felt to hope and then be plunged in the darkest pits of despair. If loving someone and being loved by them in return was the only way to break his curse, then he was as good as damned for life, because he loved Hermione and she didn't love him back – even if she did feel _some_ form of affection for him.

But then, Draco thought disparagingly to himself, she probably only grew affectionate of him because he forced her to live in his castle for all those weeks, in close proximity to him – otherwise she never would have looked at him twice… well, unless it was to scowl or frown at him.

In that case, the sooner he released her, the better – no point in wasting another moment of her time with him, as nothing was going to come out of it anyway.

Sure, he had noticed the similarities between the stories – both what had really happened between Mireille, Tierri and Valérie, and the script that Aloysius had come up with – and Hermione and his situation… but this was reality, not some fairy tale, so there was no way Hermione would suddenly blurt out that she loved him so that he could return to being human and that they could live happily ever after.

Therefore, the sooner she left, the better – he felt like he could tear down the entire castle in his current state of mind, and it was better if she wasn't there to witness it. But having to part from her was incredibly painful, and Draco was sure it was going to show even on his furry face, so he turned away from her and went to the window, and forced the words out of his … muzzle…

"Thank you for everything, but now it's time for you to go."

"Wait, it's not even noon yet, I can still do some more research and see whether we can find some alternative in one of the books…"

He felt a powerful emotion in her voice, but was too caught up in his own grief and anger to identify it and, in any case, he didn't want to prolong the agony.

"It's pointless – you already gave me the solution, so your Unbreakable vow to me is fulfilled… and it's the 30th of August, so my Unbreakable vow to you is also fulfilled with my letting you go now…"

"But you're still in beast form, so I haven't completed…"

Draco cut her off again.

"You tried, to the best of your abilities, to find a way to break the curse and revert me to my human form, so your vow is fulfilled. Now go ask Mopsy for you clothes, and pack and just…go!" he said, raising his voice, making sure she heard the unspoken threat.

"Fine, I'll go, but I won't give up on trying to find an alternative way to break your curse. I'll research it every day in the Hogwarts library, and I do hope you'll be there to help me."

He heard her get up from the armchair and walk to the door. He didn't look, but he could feel her eyes on him as she hesitated in the door-frame, but eventually she exited, and closed the door behind her with a very final sounding thud.

Draco decided he needed to gather up the courage to walk her out the castle gates – he could mourn losing her afterwards, now he still had to put a brave front on. To be separated from Hermione felt like the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life, so in order to succeed, he reached in the pocket of his shirt, where he had the Felix Felicis – perhaps it was wasteful to drink it, but Draco figured that if he would live through the day, he'd somehow make it from now on, even in a future without Hermione…

So he drank, hoping that the potion would help him keep his cool while he saw her out the gates. Determined to do just that, he apparated near the castle doors and waited for her to come down.

* * *

Hermione changed back into her own clothes, while thinking about what a sad day it was. Mopsy had actually cried when she said goodbye, and Draco was clearly on the verge of some sort of breakdown himself – only he didn't want to let her in, he didn't want to talk to her… he wanted her gone, and she cared too much for him not to respect his wishes.

But she didn't intend to give up… she'd do research every day at Hogwarts, just like she told Draco, and perhaps, if he had no objections, she could even visit him during the holidays… though why would she visit him, she wondered… because they were friends? No, during these months that they spent together they had become much more than that, though what they were, Hermione couldn't say… she was too sad to think straight..

She left her room after taking one last look around, and she did the same all the way to the castle doors – she tried to burn the images into her mind so that she would never forget the castle and the wonderful moments she spent there with Draco.

And there he was, waiting for her at the doors… looking stoic, but Hermione had lately become so attuned to him and his feelings that she knew he was extremely sad too, just like she was.

"I've lifted the wards so you're free to go – I'll walk you through the garden one last time. And thank you for your effort throughout these months – and I'm sorry for forcing you to help me…"

His voice was steady, but he couldn't fool her, she could feel he was anything but calm.

"I already told you I forgave you, and I included your 'kidnapping' so to speak, especially as I would have helped you in any case… and there's no need to thank me, I really wanted to help, I'm only sorry I couldn't do more…" she had to do her best to keep her own voice from quivering.

"And it'll be nice to go through the gardens with you once more…" she told Draco.

He held the door open for her, and Hermione got out of the castle, but after the two of them had taken only a couple of steps, several things happened at once. Draco turned around and wrapped his arms around her in a hug that lifted her off her feet, as if unwilling to part with her. At the same time, over his shoulder she noticed movement in the distance, near the castle gates – it appeared to be Harry and Ron and and other of her friends…. only they had their wands raised and they were running toward Hermione and Draco and before she could shout at them to stop – in the unlikely event that they could even hear her from that distance - Ron had already shouted something himself, she thought perhaps it was 'Sectumsempra', and Draco let out a terrible howl as he collapsed on top her.

Terrified into action by his scream, Hermione finally screamed "Stop" from the top of her lungs, and then worked her way up into a kneeling position, cradling Draco's head in her lap. He was bleeding profusely from many deep slashes on his back and he was breathing heavily…

"Hermione" he managed to say, and she caressed his brow, feeling her heart being ripped into shreds by the sight of Draco so badly wounded….

"Oh, this is all my fault. If only I'd told them to stop before they attacked…."

"Maybe it's better... it's better this way."

Why was he talking as if he were dying, Hermione thought wildly. Sectusempra didn't necessarily lead to death… Professor Snape had saved Draco from this curse once before …. perhaps Harry knew how… but in the meantime she had to keep Draco awake and alive…

"Don't talk like that. You'll be all right. Everything's going to be fine, you'll see."

But he didn't seem to hear her, as he weakly reached his paw to caress her face and hair…

"At least... I got to hug you one last time." He said, and then his hand slipped from her face, his eyes closed and he stopped breathing.

Hermione couldn't…wouldn't believe it… this was not happening…. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that her friends had reached them and were speaking to her but she didn't hear them… she was alone in a sea of grief…

"No! No! Please! Please! Please don't leave me," she pleaded with Draco as she laid her head down over his, her tears flowing freely onto his face and his mane…

And then she said out loud the truth which she had tried hard not to acknowledge for the past few weeks…

"I love you."

Complete silence followed her declaration, as if not just the people around her were silent, but nature itself was frozen in place... and then she felt Draco stir beneath her… as she raised her head, she saw him being lifted off the ground as if by an invisible force, and then little by little he began changing – first his hands and arms, then his feet and legs, until finally, he was human again…

And Hermione thought that just like in the fairy tale, love had been the way to break his curse… too bad that unlike the fairy tale, his wounds were still incredibly real… apparently love only reverted transformations… to hope that it would cure wounds as well was too much.

However, through her curtain of grief, she heard something that made her hope that perhaps not everything was lost.

Harry was chanting something as he traced his wand over Draco's wounds… 'Vulnera Sanentur' he was saying over and over again, and Hermione realized it must be the spell that Professor Snape had used back during their sixth year.

She held her breath and crossed her fingers involuntarily in a typical muggle gesture of good luck, as she watched Draco's face for any sign of life, and after several agonizing moments, she saw him draw in a breath, then another…

Color was coming back to his previously marble white skin, and Hermione started crying even harder, but this time with relief – Draco was alive!


	14. Love admitted and acted upon

**A/N:** Hi everyone, and sorry for the long wait – there was no helping it though, I was out of the country and had next to zero time to write.

Where were we at the end of last chapter, let's see... Oh yes, Draco's back to being human, at long last! And he didn't die either, yay! But he and Hermione have a lot of explaining to do now that there are other people involved. Before we get to that, we'll experience the dramatic events at the end of the last chapter from Draco's perspective as well ;) Once the explaining is done though, there is nothing standing in Draco and Hermione's way to express their feelings – so the M rating is for this chapter.

As always, I want to thank everyone who reads, reviews, follows and/or favors this story. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 13 Love admitted and acted upon**

Draco had taken just a couple of steps outside of the castle, when he suddenly felt that he shouldn't let Hermione go after all! He was surprised because he had drunk the liquid luck potion to give him courage to watch her leave, not to try and further restrain her freedom… and yet Felix knew best, right?

He let his instincts take over and he turned around and grabbed Hermione in a big hug, lifting her off her feet, and everything in his world was right again… for a second, because in the next moment someone far away was shouting an incantation and he felt a searing pain in his back…

Draco howled with pain and before he collapsed, he only had time to remember that he had felt pain like that before, when Potter had cursed him in their sixth year at Hogwarts…

As if from a distance, he heard Hermione shout 'Stop', and then she was cradling his head in her lap, but he couldn't even enjoy the sensation due to the severe pain…he could barely breathe, his back hurt so bad… if he wasn't going to make it, he had to let Hermione know he loved her, that was the most important thing at the moment…

"Hermione", he began, but found that he had no strength left to continue speaking…

She was saying how it was her fault, though Draco couldn't understand how she could possibly blame herself… still, he managed to reason, if she felt guilty now, how would she feel if he told her he loved her? Better not to say it at all..

"Maybe it's better…better this way." He realized he said that out loud, but it didn't really matter anymore – he was going to die, and she would be completely free of him, free to live a long, happy life in the light, where she belonged, not tainted by the darkness in him.

"Don't talk like that. You'll be all right. Everything's going to be fine, you'll see."

Hermione was always the optimist, never giving up – just like she had been for the past few months while trying to find a way to cure him… he loved that about her, but then again, he loved everything about her – and if he shouldn't say that to her, he could at least touch her again, to say goodbye…

He caressed her face and her hair and wished he could stay with her in that moment forever, but apparently it wasn't meant to be – he felt extremely weak.

"At least I got to hug you one last time", he said, and then felt all of his life force drain away from his body… his hand slipped from her face, and as he closed his eyes, the last image he saw was her pained expression, tears falling from her eyes… Draco wished he could have seen her smile but then he could think no more as he sank into complete darkness and silence…

The next thing he knew, someone was chanting something close to him… _Have I died and gone to hell?_ Draco thought, because he was pretty sure that the voice belonged to none other than Potter… And he could hear him louder and clearer by the second… he could breathe again, Draco realized, and his wounds didn't hurt quite that much.

But before he could open his eyes and figure out what was happening, he felt darkness take him once more.

The next time he came to, he felt decidedly better. He slowly opened his eyes, and noticed he was back in his room, lying in bed on his stomach – and it was nighttime already, as the room was almost dark except for a couple of lit candles. As he slowly turned around, he noticed that Hermione was sleeping in a chair next to his bed, her head resting on her arms, her hair spread on the blanket that was covering him, in a picture of beauty, light and innocence… Draco thought that he might have died after all, but gone to heaven …

Surely not, though… the setting was too realistic, he must have survived somehow – and bloody hell, he was human again! This time he hadn't drunk any potion so it could only mean… Hermione loved him back?! The realization made his heart beat so hard he was sure she must hear it and would wake up any moment now…

But she didn't wake, and Draco knew he'd have to find out the truth from her as soon as possible – he doubted that in the time he was unconscious someone could have come up with another way to break his curse so the only answer was that Hermione really did love him… but Draco had suffered enough disappointments during the past three months to let himself be carried away by hopes and expectations.

He looked at his body one more time, to make sure he was, indeed, human, and he felt that the wounds on his back were bandaged, so someone must have treated him. His wounds still hurt a lot, but it wasn't the intense pain he had initially felt when he was hit with the curse – most likely it was Sectumsempra, he was quite sure. Had it been Potter again? Probably, as he was the responsible one the last time, plus the last thing Draco remembered just before he blacked out the second time was hearing Potter's voice…

He felt the blanket move, and he saw that Hermione was stirring, and when she lifted her head and saw him, her face lit up with an inner light that made her look like an angel… either that or his brush with death had made him see everything in terms of an afterlife, Draco thought wryly.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, and delight mingled with relief were clear in her voice. She seemed to want to hug him, but then she probably thought better of it, and stopped in the act of getting up from her chair. Draco wished she had gone ahead to give him that hug, though considering how bad his back still hurt, it was probably for the best.

"I am awake, though I am also extremely confused about what happened to me… did someone curse me? Was it Potter?" he asked, as he gingerly tried to find a sitting position in which his back hurt less and failing.

"It's kind of a long story…" she hesitated, and Draco was sure he was not going to like what she had to say.

"It appears I'm hurt quite bad and therefore stuck in bed to recover, so I'd venture a guess that I have plenty of time to listen …" he said, with a smirk.

"OK then… so… you're right, you were cursed, only it was Ron that did it, not Harry".

"Splendid, wasn't it nice of Weaselbee to almost kill me?" Draco spat, though he had more pressing questions in mind.

"Don't call him that, and he didn't know it was you, he was just trying to save me – at least that's what he thought he was doing, not knowing the circumstances…."

Was it any surprise that she defended the Weasel, Draco asked himself…

"What was he doing there anyway, and was Potter with him? I thought I heard his voice at some point…" Draco said, hoping against all hopes that he hadn't been delusional and dreamed Potter's voice for some unknown reason.

Hermione was studying him with an inscrutable expression on her face.

"So you don't remember much, do you?"

"Well, no, the last thing I remember is being hit with a curse, I'm guessing Sectumsempra, and then I was in incredible pain, it was so bad I thought I was dying and I remember you were crying over me… and that's about it…"

Draco thought he saw an expression of relief on her face, so it meant that something happened that she didn't want him remembering… interesting…he had to get to the bottom of it.

"Let's start with the most important thing – how come I am human again?"

She stammered and Draco was satisfied because it seemed like he had found the crux of the matter. It took her several tries before she managed to speak a full sentence.

"It was something you don't see every day – you were lifted from the ground and step by step you reverted to your human form, it was really quite extraordinary…"

"Maybe so, but that's not what I asked. I asked about the reason why I'm human, not the specifics of the transformation."

Instead of answering, Hermione blushed and looked away, her mouth firmly shut.

If that's how she wanted to play, fine, Draco thought.

"Let me help you out – by your own words, the curse could only be broken if I loved someone and they loved me in return… unless Potter or Weasley came up with a miraculous alternative, but seeing as neither of them is particularly bright, I seriously doubt it…"

The guilty look on Hermione's face confirmed his theory.

"Well, that settles it then, it must mean that you love me…" he said smugly, waiting to see how she would react.

"W..w…why do you say that? You said you didn't remember…" Hermione's voice trailed off and her face was now Gryffindor red.

"Oh, so you actually said it out loud?" he asked, very happy with the news. "Please tell me Potter and Weasley were present when you said it."

Draco could picture the look on their faces. But now was not the time to gloat, he had to keep pressing her while he still had the advantage.

She spoke before he could say anything more.

"The only way the curse could be broken was if you loved someone and they loved you back, Draco", Hermione was saying, and she seemed to have recovered from her shyness, because her voice had taken a teasing tone. "So that means that you love me, otherwise my loving you wouldn't have broken the curse."

Well, she had a point there, but if she thought he was ashamed to admit it, she was wrong.

"For a witch as bright as you, I would have expected you to figure it out long before now, but I guess better late than never."

That shut her up. Draco was sure she was expecting him to deny it, but what was the point? His broken curse was the best proof ever that they loved each other.

"Not only do I love you now, but I've loved your for quite some time, and I probably never would have admitted it out loud, had I not known that you feel the same way, even if you came to feel this way about me recently." He said, watching her, as she avidly listened to him, her mouth slightly ajar. So he continued.

"Now it's your time to confess your… 'crime', let's call it… for surely to you it must seem like a crime that you, the Gryffindor golden girl, love me, Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Death Eater, the one who teased you and called you names through all of our school years…"

Draco figured it was better to say the worst things himself, rather than let her say them.

"Well, I guess it could be worse… I could have fallen in love with Crabbe or Goyle…" she said, and for a moment Draco was crestfallen, but then he heard laughter in her voice and understood she was teasing him. And although she hadn't directly admitted it, she as good as said that she fell in love with him, Draco thought.

"Although while we were in school you were an…. 'evil little cockroach', I think it was that I called you back in third year…"

"Complete with quite a powerful punch", Draco added ruefully, rubbing his jaw as if the pain from that time was still fresh…

"…now that I've spent all this time with you", Hermione continued, "I find that you're not quite as bad as all that… you're really intelligent, which I knew you were from the fact that you always came second in terms of grades during our school years…"

"Rub it in that I was only ever second to you…" again Draco said, but he was smirking, enjoying how she was building up to making a full confession.

"….and I also knew that most of your nastiness to me and the rest of the Gryffindors was mostly an act you put up for the sake of your cronies and other Slytherins – while we were together in Arithmancy, or Ancient Runes, for example, you were much nicer… well, what I mean to say is, you never said or did anything nasty…"

True enough, Draco thought, he was nicer during those two classes for the simple reason that Hermione wasn't with Potter and the Weasel then – they'd decided not to take on those subjects, Arithmancy being probably way too complicated for the two wonder boys, as for Ancient Runes, they seemed to prefer Divination, though no sane person would, in Draco's opinion – and Hermione probably agreed, as there had been rumors about her storming off from one of Trelawney's classes, never to return to them.

For years he had been tempted to talk to her during those classes where she wasn't flanked by Potter and Weaselbee, seeing as she was the only Gryffindor in their year taking those two classes, but he never did, because Draco wasn't alone during those classes. Theo and Blaise were with him, so that made things a bit more difficult… However, for their final year at Hogwarts, Draco thought with determination, things would be quite different.

He had no time to continue that train of thought because Hermione continued her speech.

"Besides, like I said before, during the last year you obviously changed a lot and spending this time with you now, I've discovered a lot of other sides of you. I like your sense of humor, I like how you can go through hours of research though it's obvious you'd rather be doing something else and let me do all the work…"

She was teasing him again – Draco thought he'd have to do something about that. His name, after all, meant 'dragon', which was a class XXXXX creature – the most dangerous. NEVER tease a dragon, especially one who was recently cursed to turn into a beast!

"Long story short, Hermione, you love me, right?" he figured the sooner he got her to admit it, the better. It wasn't in his nature to dance circles around important matters.

She squirmed in her chair for a few moments, but then her face took on a look of determination and bravery and she looked him straight in the eyes as she answered.

"I do."

Draco knew this was the happiest moment of his life, and decided he'd have to get a pensieve so that he could watch it again and again in the future.

"I'm glad we sorted that out. And we'll get back to it just as soon as you tell me what Weasley was doing here."

"It's not just Ron who was here, it was Harry too, just as you thought, as well as Ginny and Padma Patil. It seems like they wanted to make sure I managed to escape from the castle, seeing as I didn't return and it was almost time to go back to Hogwarts… so they've been patrolling the woods for the past couple of days and when you lifted the enchantments to let me go, they were able to see the castle, and they entered the garden."

"And Weasley decided to try and off me?" Draco asked impishly.

"No, Draco, remember that Ron saw you in beast form and when you hugged me he thought – they all thought I was being attacked. He had to react quickly to save me – so he cast Sectumsempra. I told them to stop and then… well, yes, I admitted out loud that I loved you…"

Draco grinned in delight, though he tried to recompose his face when Hermione gave him her 'look'.

"And you transformed back into human form – and that's when Harry put two and two together and started chanting the counter curse, a powerful healing spell that saved you from death."

Great, now I owe my life to Potter, and not for the first time, Draco thought.

"So how long ago was that?" he asked, still trying to figure things out.

"Well, it's almost 4 AM now, so you were unconscious for quite a long time. At some point I thought you weren't going to make it…"

Draco noticed Hermione's voice trembled, and she was slightly shaking, on the brink of tears, so despite the pain in his back, he gently grabbed her arm but firmly pulled her from the chair and onto the bed, so that she was now sitting on his lap – and he rejoiced in the feel of her, even if it was through the blanket.

"I'm not dead though, am I?" he said reassuringly, cradling her close to him. "Were you the one that bandaged me?"

"Yes. Once I knew you were going to live, I called for Mopsy, asked her to bring Essence of Dittany and Murtlap Essence to the master bedroom, then I asked Harry and Ron to assist me in levitating you here – it was dangerous to apparate with you when you were already wounded and weakened."

Draco could feel her breath on his neck as she spoke, and it stirred powerful reactions in him – but he knew this was not the time for it, at least not yet.

"I applied the essences on your wounds – which were almost healed thanks to Harry's healing spell - and bandaged them and then I left you under Mopsy's watchful eyes and led my friends to the library, where we could talk, because you can imagine they had some questions."

Draco was glad he had missed that conversation but he was curious to know what had transpired so he asked her to tell him and held her close as she told him.

* * *

Hermione felt so incredibly good in Draco's embrace that even her concern for his wounds couldn't make her move away from him. She was also extremely tired so she wanted to just fall asleep there, in his arms, but she knew it was important to explain everything now, so that afterwards they could both rest.

She remembered the conversation she had with her friends once they had been seated in the library.

" _So… not that I'm trying to pry or anything, Hermione, but how did this come to be? You… caring about Malfoy, and him being a beast and the fact that you were missing this entire summer, without communicating with us?_ "

Harry had been the one to break the silence, and Hermione had expected that – either he or Ron to question her, but it seemed like Ron was too shocked or angry to speak first, and she dreaded the moment when he'd eventually find his voice.

" _Well, it's quite complicated, but it starts with that day when we were all visiting the castles and I got lost. I stayed behind to look at some books, and then when I apparated, I didn't know where I was – and then I saw this castle, and I thought it was worth investigating. I sent you my Patronus to tell you where I was and went ahead._ "

" _We got your message, but when we arrived at the coordinates you gave us, there was nothing there_ ", Ginny had said.

" _Probably because the castle was enchanted up until today – I don't know how I was able to see it, but in any case, once I entered I found myself disarmed before I knew what was happening, and I was sort of coerced into making an Unforgivable Vow to stay here during the summer to help Draco break the curse that was placed on him…_ "

" _That evil git, I knew I was right in cursing him._ " At that point, Ron had managed to find his tongue. " _To force you into something like that, I should have used something worse than Sectumsempra…_ "

" _Of course that wasn't the case, Ron, you did enough damage as it is because you acted before you thought, so let her speak_ ". The cool logic that characterized Ravenclaws was obvious in Padma's words, though at the time Hermione thought she was also a bit stung about Ron acting so rash to protect her.

" _I didn't know it was Draco at the time, but in any case I would have wanted to help someone who had been cursed, if it was in my power to do so. Before long I did figure out who 'the Beast' was, but even so, I still wanted to turn him back into human if I could – the past is in the past_ , _as I hope all of you agree._ "

Ron had scoffed but said nothing, and Hermione had noticed Padma holding his hand and rubbing it gently in a calming and very intimate gesture.

" _He didn't let me tell you about my situation or his, so that is why I had to come up with half the truth to try not to make you worry too much_ ", Hermione had continued with her story, " _but I made him offer me an Unbreakable Vow in return, that he'd release me by summer's end, regardless of whether I found a way to break his curse or not._ "

" _And he agreed?_ " Ginny had sounded incredulous.

" _He did, and during these past few weeks we've been doing a lot of research together so that we could revert him to his human form…_ "

" _Oh, so it was research that you were doing together, is it_?" Ron had asked, and his tone was quite spiteful, which hurt Hermione, especially when it was clear that he and Padma were 'guilty' of the same 'crime', so she told him so.

" _I'm quite certain you and Padma did some 'researching' of your own, so you're not one to speak, are you?_ "

" _Guys, perhaps this isn't the moment…_ " Ginny had tried to defuse the situation but apparently even Ravenclaws had tempers.

" _I can speak for myself, Ginny, thanks_ ", Padma had snapped. " _Believe it or not, Hermione, it actually did start out as researching for a way to locate persons hidden by magic - it's neither Ron's fault or mine that spending time together brought us really close._ "

" _I know, and I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to judge or anything, I was just reacting to Ronald's…words_ " Hermione had wanted to skip over all unnecessary talk, as her mind was with Draco, she wanted to go back to his side.

" _In any case, I fell in love with him during this time, and it seems like he feels the same way about me, and that's what finally broke the curse._ "

Hermione remembered the silence that had followed her bold statement, broken first by a whispered " _Good for you_ " from Ginny and then eventually by Padma, who had been quite inspired to try and change the subject.

" _So what curse was that, I never heard about anything like it before…_ "

" _I'd rather give you more details back at Hogwarts, if you don't mind – right now I want to go watch over Draco._ "

" _We're staying at 'La potion moussante' again_ " Harry had said in a quiet voice, " _so we'll just return there for the night, and tomorrow we'll go back home, as we need to get ready for the new school term. I gather you're not returning with us?_ "

" _I can't leave Draco in this weakened state. I'll meet up with you at Platform 9 ¾, ok?_ "

Ron had looked like he was about to argue, but one hand squeeze from Padma and he had refrained from speaking.

" _OK. See you then_ ", Harry had said and hugged her, which had been a very comforting gesture for Hermione. In turn, Ginny, Ron, and even Padma hugged her, and then they disapparated.

"So now they're gone?" Draco was asking, and Hermione had to smile at the relief in his voice.

"They are, indeed."

"Wonderful, that means we're back to being alone in the castle, well, except for Mopsy, right?"

"Yes, though I'm not quite that happy with my friends leaving so soon, and on such an odd note too – I have to talk to them properly once we're back at Hogwarts", Hermione said thoughtfully. "And speaking of which, tomorrow I have to go back home, so it's time to sleep, or I'll never be able to find the strength to apparate so far away", she said, and tried to squirm her way out of Draco's arms.

He only tightened his hold on her, though.

"If you think I'm letting go of you when this is our last night together, you're delusional", Draco said, and his voice held something incredibly alluring, but also very dangerous.

Hermione realized that he was back in human form, and spending the night in the same bed might prove unwise although… surely he didn't have anything in mind, what with his wounds…. right?

"You're recovering from severe wounds, so you have to rest properly tonight, which means I should sleep in the other bedroom and Mopsy can watch over you."

"I hardly even feel the pain anymore", Draco said, and to her astonishment he began nuzzling her exposed neck, shoulders and collarbone, while his hands on her waist held Hermione firmly in place on his lap. She now regretted changing back into the off shoulder yellow dress, but it was too late to regret it now.

"You can't be serious", she said, a tinge of panic in her voice, as his lips moved lower.

"Oh, I can assure you, I've never been more serious in my life", Draco said before he flipped their positions in a movement that was so fast, she didn't even see when he got out from under the blanket and then got on top of her.

Hermione's last coherent thought was that if he could move like that, then he was definitely OK, and seeing as they loved each other, there was no point of resisting something they both wanted so much.

So she met him halfway - as he lowered his head, she raised hers and then their lips met and everything was right in the world. Hermione gasped at the flood of sensations coursing through her, and he took advantage of her parted lips to slid his tongue into her mouth. She answered in kind, so that their tongues were moving together, as if dancing – and Hermione was reminded of Draco's birthday when they had waltzed in the ballroom…

Not just their tongues, but the rest of them seemed to move in sync as well – as Hermione caressed Draco's hair and face with her hands, he touched her face too, gently tracing her features as if wanting to commit them to memory. Then his hands moved lower and Hermione felt him drag her dress off from her shoulders, and she obligingly assisted him in getting her arms out of the sleeves, while at the same time trying to fight her instinct to place her hands over her breasts, which were now only covered in a cream strapless bra.

Draco drew in a sharp breath and Hermione took it as a good sign, because afterwards he immediately lowered his head and kissed her breasts through the lacy material of the bra, while at the same time dragging her dress even lower, over her hips – which again, she obligingly raised to assist him - and then throwing it onto the floor.

Hermione wanted to touch and kiss more of Draco too, so she made an effort to unbutton his shirt, and he paused his ardent kisses for a moment, to allow her to remove the clothing item, which joined her dress on the floor.

"You are so beautiful", he told her as he looked her over from head to toe, and Hermione felt herself blush, but figured she had to work up the courage to say what she thought too.

"That's my line", she whispered as she admired him.

Hermione thought Draco must have been handmade by Michelangelo, his chest seemed sculpted in marble and this time it was she who kissed his collarbone, then traced kisses over his chest, getting lost in the scent of him – a scent she realized she had smelled before, in the Amortentia potion back in sixth year… which explained a lot!

But now she was too preoccupied to dwell on that – she worked up the courage to kiss his nipples, his ragged breath telling her he was enjoying it… and Hermione discovered she liked having such power over him, so she grazed his nipples with her teeth, wondering where all her boldness had come from… probably years of suppressed fantasies, she figured, but then Draco was gently tugging her head away from him and removing her bra and she thought no more when she saw the look in his eyes.

"My turn", was all he said before he took one of her nipples in his mouth, while massaging her other breast, and she arched up into his touch, not quite believing that a person could feel so much pleasure and not explode.

She briefly remembered Ron's insensitive remark back in their fifth year about how a person couldn't feel so much at once or they'd explode, and almost giggled at how she had come to think in similar terms as him, but it wasn't the moment to think of _Ron_ of all people, and at the moment she wasn't really thinking in any case, just feeling wave upon wave of sensations, each one more delicious than the last.

Draco's mouth was going lower still, kissing her stomach and Hermione could feel all her abdominal muscles clench beneath his lips, and she couldn't stifle a moan as he went lower still and she felt his hot breath directly over her panties.

His fingers went below the elastic band and before she could protest, he had removed the last piece of fabric that was covering her. He didn't give her time to voice her misgivings, as he slipped one finger into her hot core and Hermione felt like she'd really explode this time. She closed her eyes, keeping them tightly shut, while her hands clenched in the bed-sheets in an attempt to control her rampant sensations.

"You're so very tight", Draco said in a hoarse voice, but Hermione found she couldn't speak out a reply even if she'd known what to say – he was now moving his finger in and out of her in an evoking rhythm that made her feel like the entire universe was constricting around her.

"And so very wet", Draco continued, and Hermione's eyes flew open to see him retract his finger from inside her, and lick the wetness on it with his tongue, all the while staring at her.

She licked her lips too, in an attempt to wet them as her mouth had suddenly gone very dry, but apparently Draco took that as an invitation and kissed her, and Hermione was surprised that on his lips she not only tasted him, but her own musky scent as well.

She needed more of him though, so while kissing him back, she tried to unbutton his trousers, but fumbled in the process as she touched _something_ long and hard and heard him groan.

He took over and threw aside both his trousers and briefs in record time, but Hermione wished he wouldn't act so fast, because she was quite mortified at the sight of him in full naked glory. Despite being a virgin, she had read enough love novels and watched enough sex scenes in movies to have an idea about the male anatomy as well as about the technicalities of love making, but reading or watching such things on TV was one thing, and doing them was a completely different experience.

Draco was much more impressive than Michelangelo's David, especially where his _lower parts_ were concerned, and for the first time that night she felt a tinge of fear at the thought of becoming one with him… but her fear was mixed with excitement, and Draco was looking at her so intensely and tenderly at the same time that she knew that whatever happened, she didn't want to back down.

So she stretched her arms toward him in a gesture of acceptance and encouragement, which was, apparently, what he was waiting for. He lowered himself once more on top of her and as he kissed her deeply, he also thrust all the way into her and Hermione couldn't stop her yelp of pain as she latched on to his arms for support, her mind dizzy with pain for the moment.

She felt Draco freeze inside of her, and when she managed to opened her eyes a fraction, she saw his horrified expression and death pale face.

"Hermione… I had no idea", he said, regret and guilt obvious in his tone. "There was that one time you mentioned being in Weasley's bed and I just assumed…. Oh God, I'm _so_ sorry for being this rough with you…"

He seemed extremely distraught so Hermione let go of his arms and caressed his face instead, offering him a trembling smile.

"It's OK, really, the pain isn't that bad", she tried to reassure him, and she was glad that the pain really wasn't so bad anymore – her body seemed to be adjusting quite fast.

"I wish you would have told me, then I would have treated you more gently", he said and started to pull out, but Hermione kept him in place by carefully hugging him, making sure her hands were on his lower back, so as not to touch his wounds, no matter how tempted she was to feel the muscles in his back.

"Don't worry about it and don't pull back, I want to feel you – _all_ of you", she told him and felt him grow harder and larger inside of her. She bit on her finger to keep a moan from coming out, as she was sure he'd think it was a moan of pain, although it was one of pleasure, pure pleasure now.

"Are you sure?" he asked, but his voice was slightly shaking, and she realized he was making a huge effort to keep himself still.

"Positive", she smiled at him and then bit her lower lip as Draco started moving inside of her.

He moved slowly at first, giving her time to fully adjust to him, but then he increased the pace, and Hermione felt something build up inside of her, and she raised her hips to meet his every thrust, and then the world actually did explode all around her, as she screamed his name.

He let out a powerful groan at the same time and Hermione felt his release hot inside of her, as he rested his forehead on hers, and they looked into each other's eyes for what could have been a minute or infinity.

* * *

Draco had been so shocked to discover he was the first one to make love to Hermione… her remark about it being normal for her to be in the Weasel's bedroom had him convinced they had gone all the way, but apparently not.

He was thrilled that she was untouched before him – that way she was completely his, no one else's… And the way he felt about her meant a death sentence for anyone who might attempt to take her away from him.

Still, he felt so bad about going so fast and rough with her – he should have paced himself, and he would have, or at least would have tried his hardest had he known… now it was too late though, and Draco was very happy that Hermione gave him her OK to go on, because he didn't know if he could stop…

The feeling of being inside of her, of being one with her, was almost too much too bear. He had made an effort not to come immediately, but rather wait until she reached her climax to join her in bliss… and it had been something beyond anything he had ever experienced with other girls before.

Draco hadn't believed in the power of love until now, but it was clear that sex for the pleasure of it could not compare to sex as an expression of love. They were as different as heaven and earth, and he knew that from now on he'd never want to make love to anyone else. He was Hermione's and she was his and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her… He pulled out of her and gathered her in his arms, and as he could feel their heartbeats beat in unison, he knew he wanted everything with her – to marry her, to have children together…

Though before they had started their lovemaking, Draco had used the nonverbal version of the birth control spell he knew all too well – he wasn't ready to be a parent just yet, first he wanted to have many blissful years with Hermione, just the two of them.

And speaking of spells, he performed a nonverbal Tergeo spell, to clean them and the bed, knowing Hermione would be too spent to think of such details.

"I think Aloysius must have had some seer blood in him…"

Draco was startled by Hermione's statement, it was so far from what he was thinking…

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I think he might have caught a glimpse of us – otherwise how could he have written the Beauty and the Beast story with so many similarities to what we went through? I noticed these similarities from the first week that I came to the castle, so I think there's something there…"

She had a point, Draco thought.

"I think I remember reading in one of those tomes we went through that there is seer blood in the Rosier family, but I think it must have become diluted to almost nothing in recent years as there haven't been any known seers in my family, nor my mother's for generations", he explained.

"Not that it's really important though – how are you feeling?" he asked, concerned about how drowsy her voice sounded when she spoke.

"Marvelous, so stop worrying over nothing", she said and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Relieved, Draco realized something.

"You know, I think I owe my mother more than I could every repay her for gifting me that liquid luck potion."

"You drank it?" Hermione asked, and her voice was on the shrill side, which indicated she was more alert than before.

"I did, because I needed courage to let you go – and yet, apparently Felix knew that I didn't really want that, and things turned out like this: I turned back to being human, I escaped death, and I have you…" he said, hoping he didn't sound too cheesy, because Draco was quite sure adoration was shining in his eyes for her to clearly see.

"Then I'm grateful to your mother as well, and we better make sure we tell her that the next time we see her. You know, she told me she'd be pleased if we'd be more than friends…"

"Um, well, I guess she did that because I told her I love you…" Draco said, a little embarrassed to be confessing to that.

"You told her… back then, when she visited?" Hermione seemed awed, but he didn't understand why – he had already confessed to loving her for a long time. Perhaps she was still getting used to the idea.

"Indeed. It'll be interesting to tell my father, but perhaps you can join me when I visit him in Azkaban and we can tell him together", he said, testing the waters, not knowing if she'd agree to it or not.

"If you want me there, of course I'll come with you… but before that, we have to figure out what to tell everyone back at school – some of my friends already know, but there are many others who are still oblivious, not to mention your Slytherin friends… um, and Professor McGonagall… I'm guessing she didn't say anything to Harry and Ron about me sleeping in your bedroom, otherwise they would have questioned me about it for sure, but I'm sure she'll ask me once we get to Hogwarts…."

Her voice trailed off and Draco could tell she was starting to overthink again.

"Let's not worry about that now. We still have tomorrow – do you still want to go to your parents' place first? I was thinking we could go to Malfoy Manor together, and let my mother in on the news, then go to King Cross station together…"

"While I'd love that, I can't go to school without seeing my parents first – though I think it might be nice for you to meet them, if you'd like…" she sounded hesitant. "We could stop by my place for a while, then go to Malfoy Manor and then go take the train together…"

"While I'm a bit… nervous about meeting your parents, I like your plan. I'll send a letter to my mother first thing in the morning, to let her know we're coming later on in the day and then we can visit your parents – I'm very curious to see the place you grew up in, especially as it's a muggle house… I just hope I don't say or do anything inappropriate…"

"You won't – or even if you will, my parents won't hold it against you. Argghh… I'm so excited about tomorrow I doubt I'll be able to sleep…"

She did seem giddy, Draco thought, but then he kissed her hair and her eyelids and whispered in her ear.

"I'm excited too, more than you could ever know, but think of it this way… this is just the beginning…"


	15. Meeting the parents

**A/N:** We're getting real close to the end of the story, people! Hermione and Draco finally get to make love, and I hope I managed to describe it just right, but what I was really happy for was the suggestion that the Beauty and the Beast story was inspired by Hermione and Draco, not the other way around - wasn't that a nice touch, if I can say so myself? :D

One observation: all the chapters that are left (probably this one and just one other) will be M rated, just so you know, but of course there's more to the rest of the story than that. It's time to meet the parents, as the saying goes. How will Draco get along with Hermione's parents? How will Narcissa react to the news? And will someone tell Lucius? Read and find out! And it will be a long read, as the chapters are getting a bit longer, now that the end is in view.

Thanks for reading and thank you for the reviews, I hope to get more of them so that I know if you like the story or if I can improve it :)

* * *

 **Chapter 14 Meeting the parents**

Hermione woke up to the feeling of being touched quite intimately - Draco had one hand on her breasts, and one resting on her stomach, and he was keeping her spooned close to him, so that there was no doubt in her mind of how much he wanted her.

And it felt so good to be wanted by him and to want him in return… as her body came awake with desire, she realized the sun was shining way too brightly through the window which meant it was late – really late.

"Draco, stop that, we have to get dressed and get going, we have a lot of things to do today, remember? What time is it?" she asked, trying to escape his arms, but his hold on her was impossible to break.

"It's a little past 9.30 so stop worrying, there's plenty of time to get everything done."

She ignored Draco as he was biting her earlobe, and redoubled her efforts to escape him, and he finally let her get out of bed, but with a sigh so deep she was sure he had exaggerated it.

"I'm taking a shower, but I'll meet you in the dining room – we have to eat something before we attempt a long distance apparition. Our stomachs might protest afterwards, but we need stamina especially after… after…" she found she couldn't say the words out loud, in daylight, and as she felt her cheeks burn hot with embarrassment, she weakly finished "… after last night."

She basically ran from the room and went to the next one, where she picked up her own clothes (which had been probably washed by Mopsy seeing as they were perfectly clean, despite her dropping to the dusty ground when Draco had been hurt) and then hopped in the shower, turning on the hot water.

Hermione felt somewhat sore, but in a pleasant sort of way, and she still couldn't believe what had happened just a few hours ago… Draco had made love to her and it had been so intense… she had been so tempted to let him continue this morning, but she couldn't lose her head.

Just as she reached for the sponge, the door to the bathroom opened and she gave a small scream as Draco entered, completely naked.

"W..w..what do you think you're doing?" she asked, her voice as shrill as Mopsy's. "Get out!"

"Now now, is that any way to talk to you lover?" he drawled, and Hermione felt herself blush from head to toe at that remark. Her lover, indeed! What a thing to say!

Before she could protest further, he had jumped in the shower with her with a wicked smile on his handsome face.

"I figure it'll be much quicker if we take a shower together, we'll save time because, as you pointed out, we have a busy day ahead of us."

Hermione couldn't find her tongue in time but Draco certainly did as he kissed her deeply, while at the same time pressing her against the wall, so that their bodies were touching and she got redder still when she felt his hardness against her stomach.

"Something tells me it's going to take us longer to shower together than separately", she teased when they stopped to breathe.

Draco didn't answer but he poured bath oil on a sponge and then started moving the rough fiber against her skin. The sensation was exquisite, and Hermione bit her lip when he traced the sponge over her breasts, then lower, down her stomach, then finally when he slipped it between her legs.

She slumped further against the wall, but managed to whisper her wish.

"The sponge is a little too rough on my skin, so maybe you could use your hands…"

"Your wish is my command", he whispered seductively as he did just what she asked and his fingers on her skin felt like they lit her on fire. As it was, the hot water had caused steam to rise all around them and Hermione closed her eyes at the overwhelming sensations Draco was stirring deep inside of her.

His slippery fingers entered her and she gasped at the sensation… she felt so close to the edge, her legs slowly giving way. Draco seemed to have sensed it, because he dropped to his knees in front of her and held her waist firmly, supporting her but at the same time immobilizing her.

Hermione didn't know why he was holding her so still until she felt his fluttering kisses on her most sensitive spot, and then his tongue entered her and she had to clasp a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming with pleasure.

His tongue worked magic as it pushed in and out of her and Hermione felt the room starting to spin with her and then she came so intensely, once again chanting his name…

She took a few steadying breaths to make sure she was back down to earth before she pulled him up and took the sponge from him, mimicking his previous motions. He stood quite still and let her have her way with him, though a muscle worked in his jaw, and it was clear Draco, too, was trying hard not to let his voice out.

Hermione wished he'd say something though, as she wasn't completely sure whether what she was doing felt good for him. She decided she'd figure it out more easily if she touched him directly, so she ditched the sponge, and caressed him with her hands instead. She noticed he had taken off his bandages, and she circled around to his back to see the wound marks. To her delight, they were barely noticeable.

She touched and kissed each of those marks and then circled back to stand in front of him, as she lowered her head and kissed his chest, licked his nipples and then worked up the courage to touch his throbbing member…

It felt hot and smooth and she rubbed its full length, getting accustomed to the feel of him – as much as he permitted her because Draco groaned and stopped her hand a few moments later.

"I'd much rather come inside you and if you keep this up I won't last much longer."

He pushed her back against the wall and grabbed her legs, and instinctively Hermione wrapped them around him, and then he entered her in one smooth motion and she gasped at the feel of him, they fit so perfectly together…

Draco kissed her, his tongue darting inside and outside of her mouth at the same pace that he was going in and out of her and once again she came, at the same time as he did, and this time Draco did scream her name and it was all so good and perfect Hermione thought she might faint.

But of course, it was the steam that was probably making it hard to breathe, and Draco must have noticed it too, because he adjusted the water temperature so that they could both cool off.

They didn't talk much afterwards, as they could communicate just fine by simply looking at each other. Besides, there was no time to linger. They finished cleaning themselves up quite quickly, and ate quickly too, and then packed their Hogwarts stuff (Hermione putting her books and sundries in Draco's trunk, not having her own with her) and they were ready to go.

Mopsy told them a teary goodbye, but it was clear the elf was very happy that her master was back in his human form and that he and Miss, as she always called Hermione, were happy together and off to school.

Hermione held Draco's hand as she apparated them in a hidden-from-view spot in the backyard of her parents' house.

* * *

Draco tried to focus and think about what he'd say to Hermione's parents, but his thoughts kept on going back to their shower dalliance. He admitted to himself that he had entertained the thought that their first time might have been that good due to the influence of Felix Felicis, which had still been in his system at that moment, but by the time he woke up, he was sure the liquid luck was no longer in effect.

So obviously their love making really was that great due to their mutual love, not to some magical enhancement… he was awed and extremely satisfied by that discovery.

But Hermione was leading him towards the Grangers' front door so he had to wipe the smile off his face and try to look decent and respectable and as if he hadn't just had sex with their daughter a couple of hours ago… not to mention taking her virginity not long before that.

As she rang the doorbell, he waited anxiously, but then Hermione squeezed his hand gently and Draco felt that nothing could go wrong – he was nuts about her, and her parents would surely see that, and what could they want more? Muggle families weren't into blood purity or other stuff like that and in any case, his blood was pure, he was wealthy, good looking and smart too… so that was a plus, right?

But he had also been a Death Eater, and his arm still had the proof of that, even though it was now faded. Also, Draco could only imagine how many times little Hermione had cried to her parents about the mean boy at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy, who was making her school life impossible… she didn't seem like the type to bawl her eyes out, but even she must have felt the need to unload the burden. So the Grangers must have quite the opinion of him…

Hermione's mother answered the door and when she saw her daughter, she hugged her tight, silent tears falling over her cheeks.

"Welcome home, my darling", she said, "I missed you so much!"... and then she noticed him. Hermione made the introductions.

"It's good to be home, mum. This is Draco Malfoy, I hope it's OK that I brought him along but I have a lot to tell you and he can help fill in the gaps, if needed."

Draco noticed her mother's eyes widen in surprise, but then Hermione turned to him.

"Draco, this is my mom, Mary Granger."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Granger", he said, as he held his hand out for her… and Draco was pleased that after a moment's hesitation, she offered hers in return.

He kissed her hand, which made her blush slightly – like mother, like daughter, Draco thought.

"It's…um…quite a surprise, Mr. Malfoy", she said, and Draco realized what an impossible situation she was in, knowing what she knew about him and then Hermione bringing him to her house without prior notice. She should have written to her parents to let them know he was coming too... It was too late for that now, though.

"My father is Mr. Malfoy in my mind, Mrs. Granger, so please call me Draco", he said, going easy on the charisma, as he didn't want to look like he was trying too hard.

"Come right in, Draco, and you too, Hermione, dear, don't just stand there, your father will be happy to see you, we've been worried…"

She led the way to a spacious living room that had a lot of strange objects that Draco knew only very little about. The only one he recognized was a black rectangular shaped object that he thought must be a televizon, though he wasn't sure that was the correct name for it - he only knew it showed moving images or something like that. He had never taken the Muggle Studies class and had little interest in muggle objects that didn't work around magic anyway, but perhaps now was the time to read up on all of that, since he was with Hermione and she was muggle born.

Hermione's father was sitting in an armchair near a window, engrossed in what seemed to be a muggle newspaper – Draco could tell because none of the people in the photographs were moving.

When Mr. Granger heard them come in, he looked up and discarded the newspaper, as he got up to hug Hermione.

"My wayward daughter, home at last. You have some explaining to do, young lady, especially since I see you've brought company… _male_ company..."

"You know full well I'm anything but wayward, dad, and as for Draco, there is an explanation. Draco, this is my dad, William Granger. Dad, this is Draco Malfoy."

"Is he really?" Mr. Granger asked, and despite the frown on his face, he shook Draco's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Granger."

"I'd like to say the same, but I'd rather listen to my daughter's story before I make such a statement."

"Fair enough", Draco muttered under his breath, but Mr. Granger seemed to have heard him, because he smirked as he gestured for them all to sit down.

Hermione sat near Draco on the sofa, despite an even deeper frown from her father, who probably didn't much like their closeness. He noticed Mrs. Granger was also carefully studying both him and Hermione and he wondered how much of Hermione's sharp wit and good intuition was inherited.

"So tell us what happened, honey", Mrs. Granger said, "your letter wasn't very informative and we've been worried. It was quite unlike you to extend your holiday in France especially after us being separated from you for an entire year before the summer…"

"Well, mom, there's more to the story than a simple extended holiday. When I was in France, I got separated from my group, and wandered into Draco's castle. He was in a bit of trouble, having been cursed by someone, so I stayed on to help him with his research so that we could find a way to break the curse…"

"You have a castle?" Mr. Granger asked, and Draco saw that he was impressed, despite himself.

"Just a musty old building, sir", Draco said modestly, but he probably hadn't fooled anyone.

"And may I ask who else was there in the castle with you during all this time?" Mrs. Granger asked, and Draco noticed that her voice had the same authoritative as her daughter's when she was feeling particularly self-righteous.

"Um, well, there was Mopsy, the house elf, and also Draco's mother was there for a time…" Hermione's voice trailed off and Draco could feel a storm brewing.

"For a time?! What do you mean 'for a time'? What about the rest of the time? Weren't there any adults to… to… to chaperone?!" Mrs. Granger asked, her voice reaching quite a high octave, Draco dully noticed.

"Mom, we're of age, we didn't exactly need adult supervision, and besides, whatever it is you're thinking would have been impossible, seeing as until yesterday, Draco was…not himself", she said miserably, but the fact that she was blushing furiously definitely didn't help, and Draco didn't like the dark expression on Mr. Granger's face. He had his wand in his coat pocket, so he wasn't worried about something happening to him, but he didn't want to fight with Hermione's dad. Draco hoped to get the approval of Hermione's parents not to have to force his relationship with their daughter on them.

"What do you mean, not himself?"

"I told you he was cursed – it was a curse that turned him into a beast."

The look on Hermione's parents' faces was priceless. They gaped and for a couple of minutes they couldn't get any words out.

"A beast?" Mrs. Granger asked, her voice incredulous. "A beast in a castle, hoping my girl would break the curse – really, Hermione, you could come up with a better story than what I know to be your favorite fairy tale…"

"I'm not making this up, mom", Hermione said in a serious tone. "In fact, I discovered that the Beauty and the Beast story originates from the magical world, from one of Draco's ancestors in fact…"

"You don't say", Mr. Granger observed, but Draco thought he didn't sound convinced.

"Since you obviously managed to break the curse after all, pray tell how… it couldn't have been… like in the story…?" her mother sounded afraid to even asked, and Draco figured it was because she probably already knew the answer.

"Um... actually, yes, it was exactly like in the story… we sort of fell in love with each other and that's what broke the spell."

"That's it, until now perhaps I could believe all this – it isn't the strangest thing you've told me about the wizarding world, Hermione", her father said. "But to believe that you could fall in love with Draco Malfoy of all people, that's asking too much of me. What happened to Ron?"

There it was, Draco thought, the Weasel couldn't have been left out of this conversation.

"Ron and I weren't compatible, and I was figuring that out even before I entered Draco's castle. And as you well know, after the Battle of Hogwarts, I testified in Draco's favor, and we've already been through the reasons why I did it, so I don't see why you're so shocked. During these past months I got to know him a lot better and… and… it just happened", she said, hanging her head.

Draco was upset to see Hermione upset. She threw Mr. Granger a reproachful look and was about to speak, when Mrs. Granger intervened.

"While your actions lately are somewhat questionable, I believe when you say that you love him and that he loves you back. I've felt the connection between you two ever since I opened the door and saw you there, holding hands… but I still have misgivings about it, and therefore I'd like to discuss this at length with you, Hermione."

"I agree, Mary", Mrs. Granger said. "A long talk is way overdue."

"Draco, why don't you go upstairs to my room for a while, and rest there, I'll join you soon, OK? It's the last room on the left." Hermione said, her eyes telling him it was OK to do so and that she could handle her parents.

"Call me if you need me", he said, ignoring Mr. Granger's scowl.

He went upstairs and when he entered the room, he found pretty much what he expected: shelves upon shelves of books, not just magical ones, but muggle ones too, a medium sized bed and with a nightstand near it – four books placed there, neatly. She had beautiful paintings hanging from her walls, colorful nature scenes in oils and watercolors, and on the window sill there were flowers… and between the flowers an orange fur ball that seemed to be moving…

"Crookshanks!" he exclaimed, as the cat meowed and jumped down on the bed and then down on the floor, warily advancing towards him.

Draco watched the cat come closer, sniff him, and then Crookshanks started purring and rubbed himself on Draco's legs.

 _Well, at least I have the cat's approval_ , Draco thought wryly, _even if the parents are another matter entirely_.

He sat on the bed, and to his surprise, Crookshanks jumped on his lap and curled himself for a nap there.

"Cute", he said, as he started stroking the purring cat, and they waited for Hermione to come up.

* * *

Hermione climbed the stairs about half an hour after Draco had left the living room, and although she was feeling tired, she also felt victorious.

After long explanations to her parents, she managed to make them understand the situation – that Draco really was a good person despite his past, and that he was exceptional in fact, and that she loved him and he loved her back.

But they still insisted on questioning Draco too, and Hermione supposed she couldn't blame them – so far, she had done all the talking, he hadn't said much.

She was surprised to enter her room and find Crookshanks contentedly purring on Draco's lap.

"Well, well, don't you two look cozy sitting there", she said with a smirk, and was pleased to see Draco's white complexion flush slightly. Why he'd think it was embarrassing to have a cat on his lap, she failed to understand, but she figured it somehow clashed with his cool bad boy image.

"How did the hostilities go?" he asked, as Crookshanks jumped down from his lap and came to greet Hermione.

She picked up the cat and hugged him tightly before setting him down again and answering Draco's question.

"OK, eventually – but they still want a word with you. So it's your decision – I can pack up my things in a moment and we can be out of here without having 'the talk' or whatever they intend to say to you. I'm sure they'd get over it eventually, even if they'd be upset at first… "

Hermione didn't know what had gotten into her – she was usually a good daughter, and she respected her parents, but now she felt quite rebellious at the idea of them standing between her and Draco.

"No need to elope, I'm sure they just want to make sure I'm not trying to trick you or take advantage of you or something like that… So let's go face the music."

They went downstairs, Crookshanks behind them, and sat down on the sofa.

Her father was the first one to speak.

"While I'm not entirely pleased with Hermione's explanation, I more or less understand the situation and what has transpired. The only thing I want to know now are your intentions towards my daughter… also, you can be sure I'll know whether you're lying or not, even if you are good at protecting your thoughts."

Hermione groaned silently at his father's menacing tone – could he be more hostile?

"I have no intention of lying to you – my feelings are true and sincere, I love your daughter… and although I had no intention of doing this here, like this, I hope this will put your mind at ease…"

Hermione froze when she saw Draco present her with a small jewelry box, a _ring_ box in fact. This was NOT happening!

"Hermione, while you may have come to love me more recently, I've had feelings for you for quite some time, and ever since yesterday I have no doubts left in my mind that you're the only one for me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so will you marry me?"

Hermione was too shocked to answer, but she realized it was important to not just let him stand there, waiting – not to mention her parents were also extremely surprised at this turn of events and were waiting to see what she'd say.

But it was all so sudden! She loved Draco, but marriage? They were still in their teens, Hermione thought wildly.

"I see my question shocked everyone, so let me rephrase that. Will you marry me someday, not now, but rather when we've both finished our studies and are ready to move on to the next stage of our relationship?"

He was looking directly into her eyes, and his own expressed such confidence in what her answer would be, that she didn't for a second imagine saying anything other than "Yes".

He smiled warmly at her and opened the box, and inside Hermione could see a beautiful platinum dragon shaped ring with two small emerald stones for eyes. He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her on the lips, though he didn't linger – Draco had more sense than to test her father's limits.

Hermione was incredibly happy – Draco had taken her by surprise, but what a surprise! That ring was clearly a family heirloom, as it reminded her of the Malfoy family crest that she had seen above Chateau Malfoy's doors, so he must have asked Mopsy to find it and give it to him before they left the castle. His confidence in his feelings for her was wonderful and it made her feel like her stomach was filled with a multitude of butterflies wildly flapping their wings. It was exhilarating.

"You putting a ring on my daughter's finger isn't much less shocking, young man", her father said, "but at least it proves your intentions are honorable. It's not only Mary who noticed there is something special going on between the two of you, and I've never seen my Hermione glow the way she did just now…"

" _Dad!_ " Hermione chided, extremely embarrassed.

"Bottom line is, we approve of the relationship, though we definitely expect you two around here often in the future, so that we get to know Draco better and put at ease any doubts that we might still have."

Her mother also nodded her approval, and Hermione was so very happy.

"Thanks, dad, mom, but now we should probably go – I only stopped by to see you and introduce Draco to you, not to mention to pack my bags and then take Crookshanks, but before we leave for Hogwarts we still have to visit Draco's mother, she'll be very relieved to know Draco is human again."

"I'd say", her mother agreed, "I almost had a heart attack when you wrote to us to tell us you had partially transformed into a cat in your second year."

Draco laughed along with her parents at that and Hermione smacked his arm playfully.

"At least I only partially transformed, and it didn't last that long, so don't you dare laugh, Mr. Beast."

As if sensing that they were talking about cats, Crookshanks gave a mighty meow and then launched himself up in Draco's arms, who managed to catch him and then hold him, as the cat purred happily.

"Well, that just convinced me of your good intentions like nothing either of you said all day, son", Mr. Granger said, pointing at Crookshanks. "I trust the cat's judgment, and if he likes you, then you're OK."

Hermione felt mortified, so she didn't waste any time in performing the summoning charm to bring their trunks there, and then kissed her parents goodbye.

"I'll write to you from school and we might see each other for Christmas, OK? Goodbye until then!" she said, and after Draco said his goodbyes too, the two of them (with Crookshanks and their trunks) apparated in front of Malfoy Manor.

"You did write to your mother to tell her we were coming, right?" Hermione asked, suddenly nervous at seeing Narcissa Malfoy again.

"Yes, I happen to have a pretty good memory when it comes to thinks that concern me, so I didn't forget. And I bet our conversation with her will be far less tense than the one we just had with your parents, whom you didn't write to, so you can relax, Hermione."

Hermione ignored his teasing jab, and drew a deep breath to steady her heartbeat, then walked through the gates, both their trunks levitating after them and Crookshanks opening the way, as he curiously explored his new surroundings.

When they reached the entrance doors, they were shocked to discover none other than Mopsy welcoming them in.

"Mopsy, what are you doing here? I thought you remained in France, at Chateau Malfoy?" Draco asked her.

"Mopsy asked permission from Mistress whether she could take care of this house first, as the castle won't need so much looking after now that no one lives there, and Mistress agreed, and now Mopsy can serve Master and Miss again."

Hermione was truly moved by the elf's loyalty, she was quite something. She'd have to knit her a dress.

"Well, you were with me during my hardest times, so I'm glad you're here", Draco said magnanimously.

Mopsy led them into a sumptuously decorated living room, and Hermione was glad she didn't have to step foot into the drawing room again – she didn't think she'd be able to, as it was the room in which Bellatrix Lestrange tortured her.

Narcissa Malfoy was waiting for them, and her eyes widened in surprise to see her son in human form.

"Draco, I was so pleased to receive your letter… and I'm even more pleased to see you like this. Is the curse…?"

"Broken", Draco answered as he and his mother hugged.

"I'm extremely happy to hear that, and I want to hear all about it, but first I'd like to greet Miss Granger, who I'm sure had a lot to do with this joyful situation."

Hermione shook hands with Narcissa Malfoy.

"Please, Mrs. Malfoy, Hermione would do, and while I did have something to do with the breaking of the curse, I think it's better if Draco explains it to you…" Hermione said, not wanting to overstep her position.

"Very well, let's sit down, shall we, and then Draco can tell me all about it. Tea?"

Both Hermione and Draco refused, and then Draco told her about finding 'L'histoire foncée de la famille Rosier et ses malédictions', about the story of Mireille Rosier, Tierri Bellerose and Valérie Carville and how Aloysius Rosier came up with the script that became a muggle fairy tale.

Draco told his mother about how the cure to his curse was to love and be loved back and how he'd thought the situation hopeless because he didn't think Hermione loved him, and how he drank the Felix Felicis to get the strength to let her go but didn't get the chance to do so when he was attacked.

Narcissa looked worried, but then Draco explained how he transformed back into human and how Harry had managed to heal the worst part of his wounds and how Hermione treated and bandaged what was left.

Hermione was glad he didn't tell her about what they had done afterwards, and she hoped that Narcissa wouldn't guess – or that if she did, she wouldn't comment on it.

"So thank you for the bottle of Felix Felicis, mother", Draco concluded, "because without it I'd either be dead or still cursed."

"I'm really glad you put it to good use, son, and I'm quite grateful to Hermione for loving you back and therefore breaking the curse", Narcissa said, and smiled kindly at Hermione.

"Please, Mrs. Malfoy, there is nothing to be grateful for, it is your son's merit that he gained my love", Hermione said shyly, as Draco took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"And I see he also intends to formalize your relationship, if that ring is any indication", Narcissa said, and Hermione realized that it was her left hand that Draco kissed and that the gesture had drawn his mother's attention to her ring finger.

"Yes, mother, I'm afraid this is our second stop from the castle – first we visited Hermione's parents, and her father made me propose to Hermione sooner than I intended. I'm sorry I didn't mention it to you first."

How very formal of him, Hermione thought.

"Nonsense, Draco, you did mention it back when I visited the castle – the fact that you told me then that you loved Hermione was enough for me and if you remember, I told you that you chose well."

Hermione blushed hearing such a compliment from Narcissa Malfoy of all people, but what Draco said next touched her heart even more.

"And I replied that it wasn't a choice, it is unconditional and irrevocable – but just like then, I'm glad you approve and that you didn't change your mind."

So Narcissa had approved of her from before – Hermione digested the idea. That explained what Narcissa was trying to tell her when she told her that story about how she and Lucius Malfoy had married for love and how love was important and it could appear from unexpected places.

"I didn't change my mind, nor will I ever do so – especially as you two loving each other is what brought you back to being human again. However…."

Narcissa's voice trailed off and Hermione was expecting her next words, although Draco seemed puzzled.

"Your father might not be quite as pleased as I am."

"Oh…" was all he said, but Hermione knew they'd have to face Lucius Malfoy sooner or later. She would go with Draco to visit him in Azkaban if that's what Draco wanted, but perhaps it would be better for Draco to visit his father alone at first, to give him the news and see how he'd take it, without her presence adding tension to the situation.

"Well, there's only one way to find out", Draco said, grim determination in his voice, and he jumped to his feet in a fluid and graceful motion, reaching his hand to her.

"Hermione, are you up for another trip today?"

"You're not suggesting we go visit your father now, are you!?" Hermione asked, hoping he would say no, but once again, her intuition told her that was exactly what he meant.

"Yes, we should go now, as tomorrow the new school year starts, which means I won't get too see my father sooner than Christmas, and I don't want to wait that long."

"Are you sure it's wise to… surprise him like this? Perhaps it would be better to wait… or if you're determined to go now, maybe you should go alone…?" she asked hesitantly, but Draco was frowning.

"Are you backing out?"

"Of course not", Hermione said with a sigh, "I just think you're being a bit hasty."

"Then again, Hermione", Narcissa Malfoy intervened, "as I told Draco before, we only have this moment, we don't know what will happen next, so I agree that it's best you go now and face Lucius. I'd join you, but I believe it's best that you two face him alone, not to mention I like to think I've done my part by giving Lucius some hints the last time I visited him."

Hermione had as good as lost the battle if mother and son agreed on the course of action to be taken, but she still tried to argue her point of view.

"But Mr. Malfoy isn't doing that well in Azkaban and a shocking news like this might affect him for the worse…"

"He's doing well enough, plus he'll be happy to see Draco human again", Narcissa parried, "and he'll be just as grateful as I am that you were the reason the curse is broken – he might not be too thrilled about your relationship, but he'll come around and eventually he'll be happy that Draco is happy. And Draco _is_ happy, I can tell and his father will be able to tell too. So hurry up and go visit him."

"But visits to the island are very restricted, so I doubt we can obtain permission to visit Mr. Malfoy on such short notice", Hermione said, playing her last card.

"That won't be a problem, I'm sure if you ask the Minister he'll be happy to oblige… I can provide you with my fireplace, it's connected to the Floo Network."

Having no arguments left, Hermione did as she was told. Kingsley Shacklebolt, who in the past few months had been officially named as Minister for Magic (having been only Acting Minister for Magic in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts), was only too happy to oblige, his trust in Hermione stronger than his lack of trust in the Malfoys.

Having arranged for a wizard to meet them once they apparated on the island, all that was left to do was to go.

* * *

Draco apparated with Hermione on the island where Azkaban prison was located, and just as the Minister had assured them, they were met by a wizard with a long pony tail, who introduced himself as Walter Williamson. He led them to his father's cell, and then left them alone with him, so as not to intrude upon their privacy, while at the same time warning them that he wouldn't be far should they need him. Draco rather thought that the warning was for them not to try anything funny, a proof that the Minister was doing exactly what was promised at his trial, keeping an eye on him, but that was OK with him.

When they arrived, Draco noticed his father was writing. He looked up and did a double take when he saw him and Hermione.

"Well well… look who came to visit me… my son, human again. And Miss Granger… now this _is_ a surprise. To what do I owe the… _honor_?"

Draco didn't like his father's snide tone, and wondered whether it had been a mistake, after all, coming there.

"Father, I came to bring you up to date with some important news that I thought would be best delivered in person rather than by owl post."

"Important news, is it? Don't tell me, you've managed to break the curse with Miss Granger's help and to thank her for her efforts you let her persuade you it'd be _wise_ to marry her? Don't bother denying it, Draco, that Malfoy ring on her finger says it all", his father said, and Draco felt anger take over him.

"Draco can make up his own mind, he doesn't need anyone influencing him, and he's long out from under _your_ influence", Hermione said hotly.

Draco gave her a thankful smile for defending him - she'd been like a bristling lioness and he loved the fact that she was so protective of him.

"Will you just listen before you pass judgment, for once in your life?" Draco asked his father tersely.

"I know you've been researching ways to break my curse too, mother told me, but the answer was quite simple: I had to love someone and they had to love me back in order for me to become human again. And despite how prejudiced against muggle borns you brought me up to be, I've always admired Hermione, and those feelings slowly turned to something else, something more… to love… and I was lucky enough that she feels the same way about me."

"Indeed – that itself is a miracle, so do tell me how that came to be. Last I knew, Miss Granger despised you, Draco."

"I'm sure that's not true, Mr. Malfoy", Hermione said before Draco could give his father a reply. "You must know that I testified for both Draco and Mrs. Malfoy at their trial – any hard feelings I had toward him are long gone."

"That may be so, but how did that lead to you reciprocating my son's feelings, Miss Granger?"

"I'll explain that, father", Draco said, and proceeded to telling him exactly what happened since Hermione had come to Chateau Malfoy. Of course he didn't mention the fact that he and Hermione had shared the bed in his father's room, that would have been outright foolish of him.

While he talked, Draco noticed his father's expression didn't change from polite attention, but every now and then, he'd see a look in his eyes that showed he wasn't quite as unaffected by the story as he claimed to be.

"Fascinating", his father said when Draco finished his story. "And I do thank you, Miss Granger, for being the means through which my son regained his human form, but I can't say I'm thrilled about your impending marriage. Our blood is too pure to be mixed with ... impure one."

"Unbelievable", Draco exclaimed, shocked that at this point his father still went on about blood purity. "Hermione's the brightest witch of her age, she's incredibly skilled at magic of all sorts, and very knowledgeable, and she had a big part to play in the fall of your hero, Voldemort, or is that why you hold a grudge against her?"

"Don't you talk like that to your father, Draco, I raised you better than that!"

"I'll talk however I want, given how you talk to Hermione. Can't you just move past your prejudices and understand that I'll be happy with Hermione? And that there's no one better out there that I could possibly choose even if I wanted to? Or what, would you prefer I marry Pansy Parkinson, who's not half as smart or beautiful as Hermione, and who on top of that is mean spirited and petty – just because she is pure blooded?"

Draco was breathing heavily by the time he finished speaking, but apparently something he said got through to his father, because he looked somewhat mollified.

"I am glad to see that your feelings for Miss Granger are so strong, son."

Draco was speechless – had that all been a test of his feelings? He had to ask.

"You mean this was all just a test of my feelings?"

"Not exactly. It was a test too, because as resourceful as Miss Granger is", his father said and then addressed Hermione "Slytherin would be proud to have you, by the way", before returning his attention to his son, "she could very well have come up with a love potion or spell or something that might have ensnared your senses and made you infatuated with her."

"I would never..." Hermione started, indignantly, but Lucius held up a hand, to stop her torrent of protests.

"Yes, yes, Miss Granger, I realize your Gryffindor honor would prevent you from using such underhanded tactics, but I think like a Slytherin and had to make sure. So, Draco, you'll be pleased to know that I am now quite convinced that you love Miss Granger and that she loves you back... However, I can't say I am pleased by Miss Granger's… heritage, or lack thereof, but of course I realize she's a much better choice than Pansy Parkinson. Now that Lord Voldemort is gone, the future lies with the heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts, and Miss Granger is one of them, which means your marriage to her will be beneficial for our family – who knows, I might actually have my prison sentence reduced once you marry her…"

Draco was about to criticize his father for thinking in such a self-serving manner and stating it out loud with impunity, when he heard Hermione laugh, and he stared at her, surprised by her reaction.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I'm glad you came to see the benefits of an association with me, despite my dirty blood. And I do hope you get your sentence reduced or at least obtain a day pass – in spite of everything, I think I'd like to have you at our wedding."

Draco was pretty sure his jaw had dropped all the way to the stone floor and he felt himself fall in love with Hermione all over again. She was quite something – she'd never stop surprising him, and he looked forward to spending a lifetime with her, a feeling she apparently shared, as Draco noticed she was much more vocal now about her willingness to marry him than she had been when he proposed.

He watched Hermione and his father exchange looks that said they recognized each other as worthy adversaries, and he felt that while this connection that they had formed was a far cry from the family bond they were supposed to have once Draco married her, it was far better than their previous enmity and lack of respect.

"I think now is a good time to say our goodbyes, considering we finally reached some semblance of understanding", Draco said, "not to mention Hermione and I start school tomorrow. But I'll visit you again sometime soon, probably during the Christmas break."

"Make sure you bring Miss Granger with you when you visit, Draco, I find I rather like having a partner to verbally spar with and I'm sure I'd like to get to know Miss Granger better."

"I'll make sure to come visit you then, Mr. Malfoy", Hermione said, and Draco couldn't be prouder of her… and of his father too. The visit had turned out much better than he expected.

As they left, Hermione linked her arm through his, but then chided him.

"Could you have possibly given me a more conspicuous engagement ring, Draco? With this one I'm sure absolutely _none_ of our classmates and professors will _ever_ guess we're in a relationship. I mean, really, a dragon ring? It couldn't have been more obvious that we're together if you had tattooed your name on my forehead", she laughed, but Draco sensed some real worry underneath her light teasing.

"You might want to take it light on the teasing", Draco warned her playfully. "Besides, I don't want to hide our relationship – I intend to let my friends know just as soon as we're on the Hogwarts Express and by the way, you don't have to worry about Pansy or Goyle or Millicent… they're not coming back to Hogwarts this year, in fact the only ones who are coming back are rather decent once you get to know them."

"What a relief to hear you say that", Hermione said, "I admit I'm a bit afraid of how my Gryffindor friends will react when _they_ find out, not to mention the rest of the school, but then again, it isn't any of their business, so the sooner they get that, the better."

"That's the spirit", Draco said, and together they disapparated, heading back to Malfoy Manor, where they would spend the last night before heading to Hogwarts.

* * *

Narcissa was waiting for them in a very tastefully decorated dining room, and as they ate, Hermione let Draco tell his mother the story of how the visit to Azkaban unfolded.

She tried not to worry, but she knew that the following day she'd have a lot of explaining to do, and probably a lot of defending too, and it was going to be tough. And the hardest of all would be to get Ron to understand, though he seemed 'friendly' enough with Padma as to not have the right to question her relationship.

Harry and Ginny would probably be OK with the whole situation. Neville would probably be surprised and confused for a while but then he'd just accept it too, and Luna will probably say she expected it to happen all along.

Among her biggest fears was the talk she knew she would have to have with Headmistress McGonagall… even though the Head of Gryffindor House hadn't said anything to Harry and Ron about Hermione's sleeping arrangements during the summer, she was sure to have some inquiries, and it was _not_ going to be an easy conversation.

But there was still one night to go before she had to face all that, and Hermione wondered whether she'd get to spend that night with Draco – it would be kind of weird under his parents' roof with Narcissa Malfoy there in the house, but then again, Draco's mother also knew about their sleeping arrangements and their relationship so… why not?

Hermione was sure she would draw a lot of strength from being with Draco once more – being loved by him would give her the courage to face anything that came her way the next day, so she silently wished for Narcissa to be open minded and let them be.

Just as she thought that, Narcissa's voice interrupted her fervent wishing.

"Hermione, I hope the food is to your liking, you barely touched it. I'm sure Mopsy can prepare something else, but she assured me these foods were all among your favorites."

"They are, Mrs. Malfoy, it's not the food, I just don't feel very hungry."

"Call me Narcissa, please, Hermione. And if your lack of appetite is due to worrying about tomorrow, let me assure you that food will take a lot of that stress away."

Hermione offered her a weak smile and tried to eat at least a bit, not wanting to insult Narcissa or Mopsy.

"I will retire for the evening, but you may stay up for as long as you like – though I don't recommend it, seeing as you have a long day tomorrow. Draco, your room is prepared, and Hermione, I also had a room prepared for you, but if Draco feels inclined to show you his room, I have no objections – I understand you showed him your room when you were visiting your parents."

So there it was, Narcissa's subtle consent at Hermione and Draco spending their night together. She caught Draco's eye, and it was clear that he had caught the hint too. She tried not to blush thinking about it, so she nodded her thanks to Narcissa then pretended to suddenly be very preoccupied with her food.

Truth be told, Hermione was curious to see what Draco's room looked like. So once they had finished dinner, she went to her room first to take a shower and then change into a nightgown – her own taste this time, a burgundy silk night dress that only reached mid-thigh, with a deep v neckline which was embroidered with flowers. Thin spaghetti straps held the garment in place, but Hermione figured they'd be easily removed... IF the situation called for it...and she hoped it would.

She tiptoed along the mansion halls, hoping she wouldn't get lost in the big house and also that she wouldn't meet anyone along the way – Narcissa was supposedly in her room already, and she was sure the house elves wouldn't comment, but Hermione still preferred not to run into anyone.

She made it to Draco's room safely, and after knocking lightly and hearing his invitation to come in, she entered, closing the door behind her. His room wasn't all that different from the one in Chateau Malfoy. The furniture was a bit more modern, but still in greenish-blue tones. The four poster bed was quite large, and it had a gorgeous intricate gold gilded frame – but the most gorgeous of all was Draco, as he lay in the center of the bed quite relaxed, with an inviting look on his face that turned hungry once he saw what she was wearing.

"Well, Miss Granger, I must say I prefer your taste in nightgowns than my mother's", he teased.

And Hermione could have said she preferred the pajamas he was wearing then too, as he only wore bottoms, his chest being completely exposed for her to admire.

"I'm glad that you do, Mr. Malfoy, as I put this on especially for you", Hermione teased back, as she walked slowly towards the bed, knowing that the dim candle light in the room would present her and her nightgown in a flattering light.

When she reached the bed, he suddenly made a grab for her and before she knew it, she was once more on her back with him on top of her, already kissing the column of her neck.

"It's a pity you won't keep it on for long", Draco said, as one of his hands caressed her leg, from the calf, to the sensitive spot behind her knee, then up to her thigh, and then upper still, underneath her nightgown, until he slipped a hand under her matching burgundy panties and two of his fingers entered her easily, as she was already wet with anticipation.

Hermione pulled his head up for a heated kiss, and this time it was her who tasted him first, as her tongue kept the rhythm of his fingers inside of her. She let her hands roam freely all over the back of his head to feel his silky hair, then lower to caress his shoulders and back, and, in a moment of boldness, even lower, over his firm buttocks.

Draco groaned with pleasure, so Hermione knew she was doing it right, but then she got distracted when he suddenly removed his fingers from inside her, and instead pulled down her straps and the nightdress with them from over her breasts, bearing them to his hungry eyes and mouth. As he kissed, licked and lightly grazed each nipple, Hermione felt like she would lose her mind… and decided a little pay back was in order, while she could still manage it.

"Not so fast", she said, and lightly pushed him off her – and he cooperated, otherwise she never would have pulled it off, at least not without her wand. She straddled him, her nightdress pooling at her waist, and it gave her a feeling of power to look down on him, as it was usually the other way around – in bed, or out of it, given that Draco was quite a bit taller than her.

It was very intense to feel his hardness beneath her, although separated by both her panties and his pajama bottoms… and she bent down over him, adding friction to where they touched, while at the same time making his chest reachable for her to kiss… although her initial target was a bit higher than that at first. Hermione nibbled on Draco's ear lobes, kissed his jawline, then licked a spot on his neck where his pulse fluttered quite erratically, which reassured her that he was as excited as she was… Only then did she go lower, trailing kisses all over his chest, stopping to tease his nipples… and then continuing lower.

She heard Draco suck in a ragged breath as she dipped her tongue into his belly button, and then she went lower still, hooking a finger underneath the waistline of his pajama bottoms… and she dragged them down over his hips until he was fully exposed to her, and to Hermione's surprise her mere breath over him made him grow larger. She lowered her head and stuck out her tongue to touch the tip of his penis, but she had only just tasted him, when he raised her head from him.

"That's as far as you go today, because I'm afraid I can't take any more for now and I want us to come at the same time", Draco said, and he turned her around and then bent her over, so that she was now on all fours.

Hermione thought she would die of shame at such an exposed and provoking position, but it was also very exciting, not seeing him, not knowing what he was doing out of her line of sight and what expressions crossed his face, and at those thoughts her entire body tingled with anticipation. Draco didn't let her wait for long as he positioned himself at her entrance from behind, but he teased her a bit first. He caressed the nape of her neck and then all the way down her spine, until he reached the small of her back, and then he grabbed her buttocks in his hands and spread her wide for better access, and when he finally penetrated her, Hermione let out a long moan of pleasure. This new position was on an entirely new level of friction and sensations, and just as Draco pushed into her, she pushed back, and soon their rhythm grew more intense and it didn't take much longer for her to explode again, and Draco was not far behind – literally.

Afterwards, they lay cuddling under the sheets, too tired to say anything. But Hermione felt content and safe and wished the night would go on forever, while at the same time she knew that whatever she would face tomorrow, she'd have Draco by her side, so she wouldn't have to face it alone… and she was sure her friends would also stand by her… eventually, even if perhaps not right from the start.

She closed her eyes and as exhaustion took over, minutes later Hermione was asleep.


	16. The return to Hogwarts and the happy end

**A/N:** Here it is, people, the final chapter of what I hope is an epic romance/fantasy saga! It's going to be the longest chapter yet, but I guess that's fitting, considering this is the end – for now at least, as I might write a sequel at some point.

Thank you for journeying with me for so long, I hope you enjoyed every minute of it, like I did! I want to thank everyone who's read the story - thank you for reading it, for liking it, for adding it to your favorites, for following it through every chapter, and especially for leaving reviews, which mean so much to me and keep me going.

I intend to write more Dramione stories, as the Harry Potter universe is the most wondrous universe ever to create in :) So I'll keep my fingers crossed for you to read those as well, in the hope that you'll like them and enjoy them, which is all I can wish for as a writer.

A couple of last observations - in this final chapter I mixed elements from the books with those from the movies, to fit my purpose, for example I went along with the movie version of Neville and Luna being together. Also, just like the Prologue and first chapter, this last one will contain action, but a lot of descriptions and inner musings as well, so as to wrap up the story nicely. :)

As a final treat, the love scene in this chapter is written from Draco's perspective, rather than Hermione's, unlike the previous ones. Oh, if you want, while you're reading listen to Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson's "Beauty and the Beast" as well as the Beauty and the Beast intro music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken - that's what I listened to while writing.

So enjoy the read, and I hope you'll read my future stories as well!

Best regards to you all!

* * *

 **Chapter 15 The return to Hogwarts and the happily ever after**

The morning of September 1st came with gentle rays of sunshine that filtered through the window that Draco resented, as they meant it was time for him to make the effort to get out of bed. He had felt Hermione leave the room much earlier, as she had probably wanted to make sure his mother didn't walk in on them or something equally mortifying – but this time he didn't play his game of keeping her in bed, thinking she might need some space to gather her thoughts before they faced the day.

He showered and dressed and then went over to Hermione's room and knocked. She told him to come in and he found her sorting through the books in her trunk.

"Don't tell me, you forgot four of five of those thousand pages long tomes that you were intending to bring along for light reading, is that it?" he teased, as he hugged her from behind and kissed the top of her head affectionately.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Draco. I don't know about you, but I intend to ace my N.E.W.T.S., plus I have to set a good example for the rest of the students, being Head Girl and all. You might want to take notes, seeing as you're Head Boy."

She tried to sound like she was chiding him, but Draco could tell she was just teasing.

"With you for a partner I can certainly slack off", Draco said, but when he saw Hermione give him _the look_ , he quickly rectified his statement. "Not that I intend to, but I'm sure I can ace the N.E.W.T.S. too – being your boyfriend must come with a 'spend lots of time in the library' job description."

"Again, real funny. Now will you please let me finish checking the contents of my trunk so we can both go get breakfast and then set out for King Cross station?"

Draco thought it best to do as she said – as the beginning of the new term approached, her bossiness seemed to return with a vengeance. He both liked that part of her… and didn't quite like it at times.

His mother didn't comment at breakfast but Draco was pretty sure she was well aware where Hermione had spent the night, and he was pleased to see that she had no objections. What's more, she even hugged Hermione when they said their goodbyes, which was quite something for the usually aloof Narcissa Malfoy.

They apparated safely in a secluded spot near King Cross station, hidden with magic from muggle eyes, and they walked the short way to Platform 9 ¾. There were plenty of familiar faces in the crowd, and most were staring and gaping at seeing them together.

Draco couldn't care less, what's more, he threw an arm across Hermione's shoulders, although she gave him a dirty look and flushed red in an instant. Some Gryffindor she was, Draco thought, trying to pass unnoticed, avoiding conflicts… she was usually the first to draw attention to herself in class, but apparently she wasn't willing to expose her private life to gossip.

That was too bad, as Draco was proud to be her fiancée, and he wanted the entire wizarding world to know it. With her by his side, he could take anyone on, and it was a great feeling. He smirked at anyone who dared meet his eyes and they quickly looked away, and Draco felt quite smug about it. He made a note to himself to try not to let that smugness show when Hermione was looking, otherwise she might get upset, and that just wouldn't do.

Back at the castle, during their walks in the rose garden, she had told him about those times when she had been in a fight with either Weaselbee or both Potter and the Weasel… it had been hard for her not to speak to them, but she had stubbornly done so to prove her point, and Draco was sure she was well capable of doing the same to him if he managed to upset her. He planned never to upset her, but he was Slytherin and she was Gryffindor and Hogwarts didn't exactly hold happy memories for the two of them together.

"There they are", Hermione said, drawing his attention to a group of people.

Oh yes, the Weasleys – parents, the Weasel and Weaselette too, complete with Potter, Longbottom, the Indian twins, and Looney Lovegood. This was going to be fun.

He quickly looked around for Theo, Blaise and Daphne but they were nowhere in sight… probably in one of the train carts already… he'd go visit them once his Head Boy duties were over, he had to take advantage of the long train ride to explain to them his relationship with Hermione. Once they got to Hogwarts, he wanted both the Slytherins and Gryffindors to be accepting of their relationship, so that the rest of the students would be more likely to get used to the idea quickly.

They were now face to face with Hermione's friends, and Draco noticed that when they came in ear range, the conversation suddenly died, which meant that the Weasleys and friends were probably talking about Hermione and him.

"Hi everyone", Hermione said in an exaggeratedly cheerful voice.

"Hi, Hermione. Hi, Draco. I'm glad that you two are in a relationship, I was expecting it ever since I read the divination column in the Quibbler at the beginning of summer where it said that the dragon and the lion will come together – the column is written by a famous seer, you know, Professor Mopsus…", Luna said dreamily and Draco shook his head, bewildered by the strangeness of the girl.

It was hard to follow up after that statement so everyone else just looked at each other awkwardly.

"Um… thanks, Luna. It's good to see you again", Hermione finally said.

"Neville and I are in a relationship too, though he hasn't proposed to me yet", the girl continued cheerfully.

Draco smirked when he saw how red Longbottom's face became.

" _Luna_!" Longbottom said pointedly, but apparently she wasn't listening to him, despite holding his hand.

"Your dragon ring is lovely, almost as pretty as the lion hat I made for the Gryffindor Quidditch matches, wouldn't you say?" she asked, looking at Draco.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say, he thought the lion hat was a monstrosity. But everyone else was looking alternately at the ring on Hermione's finger and at him, so Draco had to come up with something.

"It's a pretty ring, that's for sure", he finally said, face slightly flushing.

"Really beautiful", the Indian girl who wasn't Weaselbee's girlfriend said with admiration in her eyes.

"Congratulations on your engagement, Hermione", the Weasel's mother said, and gave her a hug. "We were all rather surprised when we heard about your relationship but I'm sure Draco is reformed now and your influence on him will surely do wonders", the woman continued, as she affectionately patted Hermione's shoulder.

"And Draco, dear, you're welcome to visit with Hermione during school breaks if you'd like – Hermione is like a daughter to me, so I'm sure I'll come to see you as a son before long. I can never have too many children", she said with a kind but sad smile, and Draco found he felt as if he had a lump in his throat.

This woman, whom he had made endless fun of in his attempts to rile Weaselbee, was accepting him into her family, although Draco was sure that for a long time she, like everyone else, expected Hermione to be with the Weasel who was, after all, her youngest son…

Draco had always wondered what it was like to have siblings, and at some point he had envied the Weasel for his brothers and sister, so for him to be accepted into that family now… it was amazing. He was extremely touched and swallowed hard before he carefully spoke.

"Thank you very much for the invitation, Mrs. Weasley, I'd love that… and I hope you can forgive me for the unkind things I've said to your sons and about you… I didn't know better back then", he said, and he heard a couple of in-drawn breaths at his apology.

Draco realized he must be shocking quite a number of people, but if he and Hermione were to start a new chapter together at Hogwarts, he had to start changing people's opinion of him as soon as possible.

"Of course I forgive you, I'm very familiar with boys' mischief, antics and rivalries", Mrs. Weasley said, "having raised six myself, two of whom are quite the pranksters…though only one survived that dreadful battle…"she trailed off.

"I'm very sorry for you loss", Draco said, hating himself for ever having been on the side of Voldemort, who was the one who had caused such grief.

"Perhaps if you do visit, Malfoy, we can play Quidditch and finally see who the best really is, though I'm sure Harry will easily win", the Weaselette said – no, _Ginny_ said, Draco corrected himself. He had to stop calling them names if he wanted a clean slate.

"It's Draco, and while your confidence in your boyfriend is admirable, you might not want to put money on that".

Arrgghh, he realized he shouldn't have mentioned money, it was a sensitive subject with the Weasleys. Too late to take it back now, but Ginny didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, we'll see, then, Draco, if you have the courage."

A challenge? Good! He liked those, and he realized he also liked Ginny, she was witty and fun. Potter probably didn't deserve her.

"Gryffindors don't hold the monopoly on courage, so we shall definitely see… in fact, we can test that during the first Quidditch match of the season." Draco said boldly, though he wondered whether the Slytherin team really could beat Gryffindor… hopefully the tryouts would reveal some hidden talents.

"You're on", Ginny said.

"All right, enough with all the Quidditch talk", Hermione said in an exasperated tone.

Draco laughed, and he was pleased that Ginny and even Potter joined in. Everyone knew Hermione wasn't a big fan of this sport, nor was she very fond of flying, generally speaking.

"Everyone, it's great to see you again, and we'll talk more on the train, but for now, Draco and I need to go to the Prefect's compartment to fulfill our Head Boy and Girl duties, so we'll see you later. Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

Hermione dragged him by the hand, so Draco said a hasty goodbye too, and although that went better than he expected, he was still relieved to get away from them. He noticed the Weasel – yes, he'd continue calling Ronald Weasley names, he was an exception to his play nice rule – hadn't said a word, nor cracked a smile, even at the Quidditch talk.

At least Weaselbee hadn't said anything nasty either, for him that must have been quite a progress – the Indian girl (Padma, he corrected) seemed to have a good influence on him with her Ravenclaw logic and her quiet, calm personality.

"So you do realize Ron will come after us soon, right?" Hermione asked and Draco was startled by her statement.

"Why would he do that? I thought it was obvious to everyone that you're my fiancée and isn't he with Padma Patil now?"

"He probably is, and I will want to hear the full story at some point, but that's not what I meant. Ron is a Prefect, so he'll have to come to the compartment with us to get his instructions."

"Right… I guess Daphne will take over the Slytherin prefect duties in Pansy's stead – and she's OK… or at least she will be, once I tell her we're together. It was mostly Pansy's influence that made Daphne be mean to you, so don't hold it against her", Draco explained and was glad that Hermione nodded.

Well, he already knew she didn't hold a grudge if people mended their ways, he was living proof of that.

"In any case", Hermione was saying, "Padma's a prefect too, so I'm sure she'll keep Ron in check – as for the rest of the prefects, I know them well from when we were all in Dumbledore's Army. Anthony is pretty cool, and Ernie and Hannah are also OK, though I'm sure they'll all be shocked when they eventually hear of our relationship. And about that, I was thinking… do you think it would be OK to take the ring off for a while, just until we manage to let everyone know about us in our own terms? It really is a bit too conspicuous…", she said hesitantly.

Draco didn't like the idea of waiting to let everyone know, but he knew he must be considerate and allow Hermione to do things at her own pace. Even so, he still didn't really like her not wearing his ring… so he came up with a solution.

"How's this?" he asked as he took out his wand and transfigured the dragon ring with its green eyes into a ring with a rose shaped ruby stone.

"That's lovely, Draco, such beautiful magic… I might not want you to transfigure the ring back", she teased, and he watched her contentedly as she admired the modified ring which glittered on her slim finger.

"Didn't I tell you never to tease a dragon?" Draco asked her, while playfully pinching her behind in retribution for her sauciness.

She gave a yelp and swatted at his hand.

"Stop that! We're in public! And even if we weren't…" she spluttered indignantly. "Besides, the school motto is to never tickle a sleeping dragon…"

"That's all well for Hogwarts, I was just telling you my personal motto – or rather, let me amend my original statement and say that you should never tease a dragon unless you want to face the consequences… but now that I think about it, you might like them – you wouldn't say no to a light spanking, would you?" he asked, as he winked at her, a shameless smile on his face.

Hermione seemed too shocked to speak.

"Why, I never… " She stopped and tried again. "We'll discuss this _later_ ", she stressed as they had reached the prefect's compartment.

They entered and found that everyone except for the Weasel and his girlfriend were already there. He nodded in greeting to Daphne and she nodded back. Everyone said hello to them and a couple of moments later they also greeted the late comers, and then Draco and Hermione instructed the Prefects when and where they should patrol the train.

Having been given their instructions, everyone dispersed, and Draco lightly kissed Hermione and told her he'd go to the Slytherin compartment to tell his friends the big news. Hermione replied she'd go talk to her friends as well and they agreed to meet back in the prefect's compartment two hours hence, before they went their separate ways.

* * *

Hermione had to brace herself for battle when she entered the compartment where her friends were. Ron was there, but Padma wasn't, which meant that she was taking her prefect duties more seriously than he was – not that it was a big surprise.

Harry and Ginny were there too, and Neville – though he was without Luna. As she entered, the conversation stopped. Hermione was tempted to chide Ron for ditching his prefect duties, but there was still plenty of time to patrol the train, plus she didn't feel like starting the discussion on such a negative note.

"Well, my Head Girl duties are done for the moment, though I will have to go patrolling soon enough – I thought we'd have some time to catch up before, though", she said pleasantly, while taking a seat next to Neville – he was sitting alone on the bench opposite to where Ron, Harry and Ginny were sitting.

"Of course we need to catch up – did you really get engaged to Draco, Hermione?!" Ginny asked excitedly. "And how come your ring looks different now?"

Hermione noticed the sour look on Ron's face and wondered why Ginny was asking such a question, knowing it wouldn't please her brother… but then she realized Ginny must be doing it on purpose, as she often said Ron was a prat and she probably thought the same about his attitude now.

"Um, well, the engagement happened quite suddenly, it was Draco's way of proving to my dad that his intentions were honest…"

"So you took him home to meet your parents? That is awesome!" Ginny said, and she sounded even more excited than before. "What about the ring? This one's really pretty too, they're all Malfoy family heirlooms, aren't they?"

"It's the same ring, Draco just transfigured it so that it won't be so conspicuous until…"

But she didn't get to say more than that, as Ron rudely interrupted.

"Oi, do we really need to hear all these details?" he asked crankily.

"Stop being a nuisance, Ron, I am actually curious to know everything, that's why I asked", Ginny said.

"So you're really OK with this? Did all of you buy his apology and good boy dragon dung? Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots!"

"It not dragon dung, Ron, Draco did change", Hermione said calmly, hoping her patience would hold because if she started raising her voice, she knew a fight would be inevitable. "You yourself testified at his trial, so you must know that he really did turn over a new leaf and is trying hard to be better."

"And we're just supposed to forget all those years in which he was a complete arse and pretend like we're friends now?" Ron asked, apparently not willing to let the matter drop.

"Not necessarily to forget, Ron", Harry intervened, as he gave Hermione a reassuring look, "but to forgive. Think of his family, he didn't have very good role models with Lucius Malfoy for a father and all those Death Eaters who were family friends… not to mention who his aunt was…"

"But Harry, _you_ grew up with the Dursleys and yet you're not horrible like they are", Ron said stubbornly.

"Although I can't believe I'm saying this, the Dursleys were nice when compared to the Death Eaters… it's one thing to be mean, and another to be evil, they're on different levels, so while I'm not trying to find excuses for Malfoy, I'm all for second chances…"

"Besides", Ginny put in her two knuts' worth, "if I don't hold a grudge against Draco, whose father slipped Voldemort's diary in my cauldron which made me do horrible things and almost _killed_ me in the process, why would you?"

That seemed to have convinced Ron, so he mumbled a ' _Fine_ '. And then he seemed to have come to a conclusion, because he spoke loud, looking at them all, as if challenging them to comment.

"And just so that you all know, if I'm against Malfoy, it's not because I don't like him dating Hermione – I love Padma, though don't tell her I said that, and I would be perfectly happy if Hermione decided to date... Seamus, for example - I just think you deserve much better than Malfoy, Hermione... and on a second thought, you deserve better than Seamus as well... blimey, I'm not sure anyone deserves you." Hermione smiled at the compliment as Ron seemed to realize he was babbling and had gotten off track of what he was initially saying. "It's just that I doubt Malfoy's not a git anymore and I really dislike the idea that him dating you means he'll be around as a lot….and we'll have to _get along_ with him…"

Hermione could tell that everyone was shocked at such a long and brave speech from Ron. She tried to make the awkward moment pass by changing the subject.

"Ok then... how about you tell me about you and Padma, Ron", Hermione said, hoping that such a topic would get Ron out of his bad mood.

And apparently that did the trick, because Ron suddenly cheered up and he had a silly grin on his face as he told her the story.

"While we were trying to find ways to get to you and get access to the castle, Padma and I talked and she told me that back at the Yule Ball she wasn't upset just because she didn't get to dance with her partner, she actually liked _me_ – and that was in spite of the horrible dress robes that mum made me wear…" he trailed off and Hermione could tell he still held a grudge for having to wear such clothes in public, and at a formal occasion, no less.

"Anyway, it seems like a lot of the time she spent around Parvati was actually an attempt of hers to get closer to me and talk to me and I thought that was really cute", he said, blushing hard so that his face seemed almost as bright red as his hair.

"And as I talked more and more with Padma, I discovered I liked her too, she's so much quieter and settled down than poor Lavender"… he looked sheepishly at Hermione, but she didn't let any emotions show on her face. Lavender was dead, and Hermione regretted the anguish they must have caused the poor girl due to Ron's uncertain feelings.

"So we are pretty much going steady now…" he finished and Hermione nodded.

"Good for you, thanks for telling me about that." Hermione could have done without the story, but if felt fair to give Ron his moment in the spotlight so as to appease him. After spending so much time with him, she knew what made him tick.

"And since we're on the relationship topic, Neville, you somehow managed to evade all of our questions about how you and Luna got together…" Ginny teased.

Neville squirmed in his sit and Hermione pitied him, as he was clearly uncomfortable with the subject. But then his expression changed and she caught a glimpse of the boy who had broken through Voldemort's silent spell first, and faced him with bravery, thus proving worthy of Gryffindor's Sword with which he had killed Nagini, a crucial step in defeating Voldemort.

"I didn't want to talk about it because I basically chose the worst possible moment to confess my feelings to her – that is, after the Battle of Hogwarts… but what with all the people we've lost, I felt the need for something happy, something positive, something good to balance things… so I frantically looked for Luna and when I finally located her, she took me by surprise when she candidly asked me 'Figured it out, have you?' and then she….she kissed me…"

Neville was almost as red in the face as Ron had been a few moments ago, but Hermione thought there was nothing to be embarrassed about, the story was amazing, how amidst all that tragedy, love had bloomed like a rose – and when she thought of roses, she remembered the garden in Draco's castle, with all those beautiful colored roses, and she smiled.

"So since she was the one to kiss me first, I thought I should pluck up the courage to ask her to be my girlfriend and she agreed and we've been seeing each other all summer – she has been traveling with her dad to search for… well, for various magical creatures…"

Everyone sniggered at that, as they knew most of the magical creatures the Lovegoods were looking for didn't really exist.

"And I asked whether I could join them, and they were happy to let me tag along… it's been a very instructive summer…" Neville was saying and Hermione couldn't help herself.

"You're saying you actually _found_ some of those creatures?" she asked, trying not to sound _too_ incredulous.

"No, nothing like that, it's just that I encountered a lot of fascinating plants and herbs on my travels", Neville said happily after which he launched into a detailed description of each of them and their properties and uses.

When he finally had nothing more to say about plants, Hermione took advantage to ask more about how her friends spent the summer. Harry was the one to answer.

"Well, initially we extended our stay in France too, hoping you'd manage to break through the spells of the castle and join us, which is what you told us at the time, but after a week we couldn't postpone our return so we went back to England. I stopped briefly by 12 Grimmaud Place to drop off some luggage and also to make sure Kreatcher was OK, then I went to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Ron, Ginny and I mostly spent our time playing Quidditch… we also helped Mrs. Weasley with chores, and occasionally even did some studying, considering that this year we have our N.E.W.T.s, and I, for one, still plan to become an Auror."

At this point Harry looked at Ron with a grin, from which Hermione understood that Ron hadn't been very studious, despite hoping to become an Auror himself.

"And we often visited – or got visits from – Luna and… Padma… Apparently Padma visited Luna every time when she was home and not on a creature finding trip", Harry added with a smirk. "She's been helping Ron research ways to get you out of the castle, or that was their story."

Ron punched Harry on the arm for such a remark, but Harry just laughed.

Hermione was glad to hear that – as it was clear that the relationship with Padma had made Ron move on from Fred's death, and she preferred to see Ron blushing about that relationship or being irked at Draco than to see him sad and marked by the tragedy of losing a brother.

Harry and Ginny, too, seemed to have helped each other move on, and they looked really happy together, which Hermione had expected for quite some time. Unlike Ron and her, Harry and Ginny had been destined to be together, Draco himself had pointed that out a long time ago, although he was being ironic when he told Harry that 'he got himself a girlfriend' in reference to Ginny at Flourish and Blotts before the start of their second year at Hogwarts.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasely had seemed OK at Platform 9 ¾ too – but Hermione knew it would be a long time before their wounds would heal, if they could ever heal considering that George was Fred's _identical_ twin, even with him missing an ear now. She knew she'd always find it hard to look at George and not wince, but perhaps in time… she didn't even want to think how bad things were for George when he looked at himself in a mirror…

While Hermione didn't want to reopen those fresh wounds, she really was quite worried about George, so she had to ask.

"How is George holding up?"

It was Ron who answered her question this time.

"He's OK, really. Business is blooming and it seems like he and Angelina managed to help each other …well… you know… carry on with their lives."

"I'm glad to hear it", Hermione said with a smile. She was curious to know more about _that_ relationship, because although throughout their school years, Angelina had befriended both Weasley twins, what with them all being on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, it had been Fred that she went to the Yule Ball with during the year of the Triwizard Tournament. Now wasn't the time to ask for details though.

"What about Percy?"

"Oh, you know _him_. He's buried himself in work at the Ministry but while he's at home, he's been very helpful to mum and dad, which isn't to say he's not a pompous, arrogant git anymore", Ron commented.

Hermione was glad that everyone had managed to cope with their grief one way or the other. She missed Fred terribly too, and it was only her intense research to find a way to break Draco's curse that had kept her mind from his death, and all of the other tragic deaths, like Professor Lupin and Tonks… well, the process of falling in love with Draco had also been quite the distraction… But just like the others, Hermione too had needed someone to help her move on and she was glad that, despite being completely unexpected, Draco had been there for her.

"Anyways", Harry said, "As time went by and you didn't return from France, we decided to go retrieve you if we could, and that's what we were trying to do when the castle suddenly appeared in front of us, we entered, saw you and Draco in that beast form of his, and you know the rest… Ron acted rashly, though I admit I had my wand out as well and was one second away from casting a spell – only it would have been Petrificus Totalus or Stupefy or Immobulus… Sectumsempra is a horrible curse and we didn't really know much about the situation to use it, in any case – you saw how things turned out."

"I wasn't thinking straight, so cut me some slack, will you?" Ron grumbled. "I thought a beast was attacking Hermione, I shouted the most brutal spell I could think of… I'm surprised you even thought of all those spells yourself, I would have expected you to try and _disarm_ the beast…" Ron said, and Hermione was sure this was just friendly banter, despite sounding a lot like a fight. _Boys,_ she thought exasperatedly.

"Expelliarmus might be my spell of choice, but I had the presence of mind not to use it on a creature that didn't seem to have a wand, so that's more than you can say, right?" Harry replied lightly, which only seemed to annoy Ron more.

Hermione sighed. She expected Harry to give up first, but apparently he was up for a 'friendly' fight at the moment.

"Guys, enough! Thanks for bringing me up to date, but not it's time to go patrol the train corridors – and make sure you don't fight while I'm gone or I'll take points from you even if we're all in the same House", Hermione said and she was almost out the door of the compartment when she turned around and looked at Ron, who had given up the argument but slumped in his seat and seemed to be a second away from dozing off, now that the fight was out of him. "You're a Prefect, you're supposed to patrol too, did you know?"

She didn't wait to hear his reply, but she thought she heard him mumble about not being able to rest one bloody second. As if!

Once she finished patrolling, it was time to meet Draco in the prefect's compartment and he surprised her by greeting her with a hug that lifted her off her feet and a kiss to match that intensity.

"Don't tell me, you missed me already?" she teased when he let her down, but to her surprise he nodded.

"I did, actually – I think this is the most time we spent apart during the last two months…"

As they sat together on the train bench, Hermione realized he was right. And she had missed him too, although it had only been a couple of hours.

"Well, the time spent apart wasn't wasted – I managed to clear things with everyone, Ron included, even if he is still a bit resentful that he is supposed to get along with you now…"

"Oh, it's not a requirement, I don't have any problem with continuing not being friends with him, I enjoy calling him names, so it'd be an effort to give that up", Draco said, grinning, as he took her hand and played with it so as to watch the ring on her finger catch the late afternoon light. He didn't seem happy that it was a rose, not a dragon.

"Please don't joke about that, you have to at least try and be civil with him, as I'm… err… pretty sure he'll try the same. Who knows, you might find out you actually get along and become very good friends."

"Yes and Blast-Ended Skrewts might fly", Draco laughed, but Hermione wasn't pleased with how easily he dismissed the possibility that he and Ron might become friends.

Still, she decided to let the matter drop. They needed to patrol the train once more to make sure none of the students were up to any mischief – at least nothing too serious – and then they'd arrive at Hogsmeade station.

She still had an important question for Draco, though.

"How did the talk with your friends go?" she asked, biting her lip as she anxiously waited for him to answer.

"Well, let's see. Blaise wasn't too thrilled about having to socialize with a muggle born – he's quite prejudiced having been raised to hold the same misguided values as my parents taught me. But in the end he said that at least you're good looking and knowledgeable so it'll be nice to look at you _and_ talk to you, which in his opinion is a rare thing to come by, at least where girls are concerned."

Hermione didn't know whether to feel flattered or insulted.

"I told him to keep his opinions and hands to himself, and I'm sure he'll do just that. Now Theo, as usual, didn't say much, but he seconded Blaise's opinion that it'll be nice to have someone intelligent and well-read to converse with."

"So Theodore thinks you're _not_ intelligent and well read?"

"Present company was excluded", Draco said smugly. "As for Daphne, she was also brought up on ideas of pure blood supremacy, but she's never been one to care about that much - in fact, I think she dated a muggle born Ravenclaw back in her fifth year… in any case, she said it'll be nice to talk to someone who is concerned with more than tormenting other students and the latest love gossip – she was referring to Pansy and her gang, as you probably gathered."

Hermione nodded.

"So you see, everything will be fine… I'll meet you in the Great Hall, as I guess it's better to take separate carriages from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts – I'm sure the rumor about our relationship will spread around soon enough without us feeding floo poweder to the fire."

"Thank you", she whispered. "But you know what, I think I'd rather have my ring back – and if anyone notices, then so be it", she stated, and saw Draco's face lit up with a brilliant smile, as he transfigured her ring back into its original dragon shape.

Hermione would have preferred to keep the ring in its rose version for a while longer so as not to 'feed floo poweder to the fire', as Draco had put it, but she wanted to repay him somehow for how considerate he was, trying to keep rumors at bay when he actually wanted everyone to know as soon as possible about their relationship. Reluctant to separate from him, she gave him a peck on the lips and then finally left to fulfill her Head Girl duties.

There were no incidents, and once they got off the train, Hagrid made sure that the first years were all OK while crossing the Black Lake to get to the castle. The rest of the students safely boarded their carriages and off they went.

The ride was quite subdued, probably because now pretty much everyone in the seventh year could see the Thestrals and it was a grim sight considering the significance of that fact. But once the students set their eyes on the castle, they seemed to cheer up – it had been reconstructed perfectly, both on the outside, as well as on the inside, as everyone could tell once they were seated at their tables in the Great Hall.

Hermione noticed there were fewer Slytherins this year – only four students in the last year, including Draco, and some of the fifth and sixth year students hadn't returned either. Students had been informed that the previous school year had been disregarded completely, as none of them had learned much under the reign of terror of the Carrows, therefore Hermione and her peers were still in their seventh year, Ginny and Luna in their sixth year, and so on, which was lucky, as Hermione had really disliked not being able to finish her magical education.

Sure, going off with Harry and Ron on the quest to find and destroy horcruxes and eventually destroy Voldemort himself had been of paramount importance, and yet Hermione still thought in pretty much the same terms like in her first year, when she had told Harry and Ron that getting expelled was worse than death - well, perhaps back then she had exaggerated _a little_ , but not graduating from Hogwarts would have been a big failure for her, and she feared failure above all else... although, if she thought about it, Hermione thought that just like it had happened in Draco's case, her Boggart might take a different shape now - probably just like Mrs. Weasley, she'd first see Draco dead, then her family and Harry and Ron, the Weasleys and all of her friends... She would probably get to test that theory once the N.E.W.T.s drew closer.

Once the sorting ceremony was over, the headmistress called for attention so she could give her start of the year speech, and Hermione noticed the new additions to the professors' table – and was surprised that she knew one of the new teachers: it was none other than Walter Williamson, the wizard who had accompanied Hermione and Draco while they visited Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban. He was clearly the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, what with being an Auror, and Hermione wondered why neither Minister Shacklebolt, nor Professor Williamson had mentioned this fact to her.

The other new professor - which would teach Muggle Studies - was a middle aged witch who was very short and very thin, but Hermione didn't get to analyze her further as the Headmistress started her speech and Hermione dedicated all of her attention to what she was saying – Professor McGonagall was her favorite teacher and a role model of hers, and Hermione was glad she was now in charge of the school.

The speech was touching – Professor McGonagall talked about how those who had perished in the Battle of Hogwarts were heroes and that their deaths had not been in vain, as a new era dawned in the Wizarding world, one free from Voldemort's evil. She also said that despite Voldemort and most of the Death Eaters being dead or otherwise imprisoned, it was important to be ready for whatever challenges the future brought and that meant a proper magical education and also cooperation and unity between students – they were encouraged to set old feuds aside and start anew, Slytherins included.

By the time the headmistress finished her speech there was not a dry eye in the hall, or if there were people who hadn't shed tears at all, they were a minority. But then Professor McGonagall moved on to practical manners, introducing the new professors, warning students against wandering into the Forbidden Forest, informing them about the list of rules they could consult in Mr. Filch's office, and at the end she asked the Head Boy and Girl to come to her office after the feast.

That simple statement was sufficient for Hermione to not be able to enjoy one bite of the otherwise delicious start of the year feast. She just knew Professor McGonagall was going to question them about what had happened during the summer. Around her everyone was eating and chatting, but she barely touched her food, while stealing glances in Draco's direction – and fuming when she noticed that he _was_ eating properly, and seemed completely unconcerned, as he animatedly chatted with his Slytherin friends, all three of whom looked at Hermione every so often.

Finally, the feast was over, and she told her friends she'll see them in the Common Room, then started walking out of the Great Hall. She was almost at the doors when Draco caught up with her.

"So…what do you reckon? Are we busted?" he asked, his typical smirk driving the point home that he wasn't really worried. Hermione wished she could say the same.

"The Headmistress is a very intelligent woman, and despite seeming overly severe at times, she's fair – so all we have to do is explain what happened." Hermione told him. "Better let me do the talking, as she's my Head of House, although please answer honestly if she addresses you a question, OK?"

"Sure."

As they reached the gargoyle that was guarding the spiral staircase that led to the headmistress' office, Hermione realized she had no idea what the password was.

"Do you know the password?" she asked Draco, but he shook his head.

Not knowing what else to do, Hermione addressed the gargoyle directly.

"Um… Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, Head Girl and Boy…we're here to see the Headmistress as per her request…"

At first nothing seemed to be happening, but then the gargoyle spoke.

" _Every dawn begins with me_

 _At dusk I'll be the first you see_

 _And daybreak wouldn't come without_

 _What midday centers all about_

 _Daisies grow from me I'm told_

 _And when I come I end all cold_

 _But in the sun I won't be found_

 _Yet still each day I'll be around_

 _What am I?"_

"Lovely, a riddle – I thought only Ravenclaws had to solve those to get inside their Common Room…" Draco complained.

"Well, Professor McGonagall is a great admirer of Ravenclaw house, having almost been sorted there herself, so let's just think of this…"

They sat a couple of minutes in silence going over what the gargoyle had said… and before long Draco exclaimed: "I've got it, the answer is 'the letter D'."

The gargoyle moved and the staircase was revealed to them.

"Well, done, Draco", Hermione said, impressed.

"Surprised I solved it before you did?" he teased.

"Oh, shut up, I would have figured it out in a moment, I'm sure", she teased right back.

They entered the office and saw Professor McGonagall sitting at her desk, reading a long piece of parchment. When she saw them, she waved them forward and indicated that they should take a seat on the two chairs on the other side of the desk. They sat and waited for her to speak.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I wonder whether you know why I've asked you here", she said, scrutinizing them.

"To give us details about our duties as Head Boy and Girl?" Draco asked.

Hermione gave him her look – hadn't she asked him to let _her_ speak?!

"No, I'm sure you both know your duties from the letters I sent you over the summer. In fact, it's in regards to those letters that I want to clarify some things with you."

Draco seemed like he wanted to say something again, but Hermione hit his shin lightly, so as to make him refrain from speaking. It was clear to her that the best thing to do in this situation was not to speak until directly asked something, and even then, to only answer with the strictly necessary information, so as not to make matters worse.

"I was rather… surprised to see that the address was the same and what an address it was…", Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione wished the earth would swallow her whole when she thought about what the headmistress must be thinking of her and what she might be imagining.

"It was only normal for you, Mr. Malfoy, to reside in the master bedroom of your own castle, however I found it extremely peculiar that you would have the _very same_ address, Miss Granger. I admit I wrote to Mr. Potter and asked him whether he knew of your whereabouts – you are, after all, from my House and I was concerned."

Hermione was mortified, but the Professor set her mind at ease. "I did not mention to Mr. Potter the address, Miss Granger, don't look so worried. And in any case, Mr. Potter told me that although you were in a sort of predicament, you were all right, that you had written to him to tell him so, which is why I pursued the matter no further… but I want to make sure that everything is in order, considering that you two share the Head Boy and Girl responsibilities and I do not want any conflicts between students that are supposed to enforce rules and be role models for others."

The Headmistress was looking at them inquiringly, so Hermione cleared her throat and tried to explain their unusual circumstances.

"Headmistress, what happened this summer was a very peculiar situation. Draco got cursed right after his trial, with a variation of the Maledictus curse, which made him turn into a beast, although he retained his ability to speak and think as a human. He went to his castle in France, hoping that the enormous library there might provide him with a way to break the curse. Not long afterwards, I was visiting France with some of my friends when I happened to wander into Draco's castle, and he _asked_ me to help him break the curse."

Hermione tried not to let her voice tremble when she uttered the small lie – Draco, too, was keeping his face expressionless so as not to give her away when she 'adjusted' the story to try and make it more palatable for the headmistress. Were she to tell the entire truth, Draco might be put through another trial – the fact that he had effectively kidnapped Hermione was a serious offence, and he would have most likely been sent to Azkaban, even if she didn't want to press charges.

"I agreed, and that's what I've been doing all summer – it was only the day before yesterday that we finally succeeded in turning Draco back into a human."

Hermione hoped that would be enough for Professor McGonagall, but she realized that her story so far did not explain why she had shared a bedroom with Draco. However, she also knew that as long as she said she had _agreed_ to stay with Draco at the castle, the headmistress would not pry further into the matter despite the fact that Hermione was sure she was quite curious about them sharing a bed.

"Impressive, Miss Granger, and I will want to hear all the details about this curse and counter curse later… for now I just wanted to make sure that I understood you correctly that you stayed at Mr. Malfoy's castle of your own free will."

Hermione didn't want to lie, but then again, despite of how things had started, she had indeed agreed to stay there and it turned out to be the best decision of her life.

"Well, it's a bit complicated but bottom line is that yes, I did stay there of my own will", she said in a small voice. Her conscience was eating at her.

And then Draco blew it all.

"Incidentally, Professor", he said, "Hermione and I are engaged". And before Hermione realized what he was doing he took her hand and presented it to the headmistress so she could clearly see the ring.

Professor McGonagall stared at the ring as one of her hands flew at her chest, as if holding on to her heart, and for a few minutes she didn't say anything at all.

"I see", she finally said, "congratulations then, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy. I suppose everything _is_ in order then…" but she didn't really sound convinced, and Hermione's heart ached at worrying her. Throwing caution to the wind, in one breath she told Professor McGonagall the real story, from beginning to end, finally apologizing for not being entirely truthful from the start and explaining that she didn't want Draco to be in trouble when everything had turned out well in the end.

Draco looked very pleased that everything was out in the open, but the headmistress was clearly shocked.

"My, that's quite a story, Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy, it was seriously wrong of you to practically imprison Miss Granger and force her to help you break the curse, but since you've… worked things out, I will take no further action. However, Mr. Malfoy, I hope you will not do anything like that ever again or you may be sure I will punish you, and severely at that! Not to mention what the Ministry might do to you should you put one toe out of line… I hope you know they've asked me to keep an eye on you and your fellow Slytherins who were associated with Death Eaters."

"Yes, Professor", Draco said in a humble tone that was completely uncharacteristic for him.

"And you, Miss Granger, I trust to keep Mr. Malfoy in line – it's not just your responsibility as Head Girl, but as his fiancée, too!"

Hermione blushed furiously, but nodded her consent.

"Oh, and Mr. Malfoy, since I understand it was the Death Eater Rosier who cursed you, you'll be pleased to hear he was apprehended a few hours ago – it was in the Evening Prophet."

"Splendid – though now that the curse is already broken, I can't say it'll do me much good. If anything, in a way I'm grateful to him, because it was his curse that brought Hermione to me."

She blushed even harder at Draco's comment – how come he wasn't embarrassed to say such things, and in front of the Headmistress, no less! Then again, he was cool enough that no matter what he said, he couldn't possibly look bad, Hermione thought ruefully.

"Admirable sentiments, Mr. Malfoy. You're both free to return to your dormitories – I'm sure you'll want to rest so that you'll be fresh tomorrow for your classes. As usual, you will receive your schedules at breakfast. Good night!"

Hermione left with Draco, and as soon as they were out on the corridor, Draco took hold of her hand and sighed with relief.

"That went well."

"You think? What on earth possessed you to tell her we're engaged?" Hermione asked, retrieving her hand and pouting. "You knew she was well aware of our former enmity, it was she who gave us both detention ever since the first year when you snitched on us about Norbert…"

"Who?" Draco asked blankly.

"Hagrid's dragon", Hermione explained impatiently.

"Ah, so the big oaf actually gave the beast a name", he said, though Hermione saw that he flinched a little when she scowled at him, upset as she was that he was addressing Hagrid in such a rude manner.

"Sorry" he said, but Hermione thought he didn't really mean it – or rather, he was sorry he upset her, not that he spoke rudely about Hagrid. "To answer your question", he continued, "McGonagall had already noticed the ring on your finger, so it was only a matter of time before she put two and two together and realized that you spending your summer with me and the dragon ring on your finger meant we were in a relationship – I thought I'd spare her all that thought process."

"How very generous of you – I thought you agreed we should try not to flaunt our relationship and shock people?" Hermione asked, still upset.

"The Headmistress won't spread the word – you know that, and as proof that she won't say a thing just think at how she didn't ask Potter why you'd be sharing a bedroom with me. Now please don't be upset with me anymore…" he said, and he had a pleading look on his face that was so adorable, that Hermione felt all the anger leave her, despite not being ready to forgive him.

"Well, I too am glad that I told her the real story – I don't like lying to teachers", Hermione said before she found herself pinned to the wall, with Draco's lips on hers.

* * *

Draco felt the exact moment when she thawed, so he took advantage of her momentary weakness to press her into the corridor wall and kiss her thoroughly, and luckily she responded to his kiss, perfect proof that she had forgiven him.

But long before his hunger for her was sated – not that he thought his hunger for her could _ever_ be sated – she pushed him away.

"That's quite enough, Draco, someone might see us and I already told you we need to set a good example, not a bad one."

Yes, Draco thought, not one day back at Hogwarts and she was once more exaggeratedly righteous and bossy. He'd have to do something about that.

"Fine, then we need to go to a place where no one can see us", he said playfully.

"That was _not_ the point. I meant we should each go to our Common Rooms, or even better, to our dormitories, like Professor McGonagall said – I do want to be in top shape for tomorrow's classes, not drowsy due to lack of sleep."

"Don't tell me you're afraid I might actually finish the year ahead of you this time", Draco teased and saw her blush.

"I'm not afraid of that, I'm quite convinced I will be first, as always – and your distraction techniques are not going to work."

Draco smiled, she was just too easy to tease, and he enjoyed teasing her immensely.

"Perfect, in that case you won't object if we go to the Room of Requirement – I'm sure we'll get the privacy we need in there", he told her, and once more reached for her hand and dragged her towards the stairs, as she dug her heels in but to no avail, given his superior strength.

"Seriously, Draco, this is not the time to go anywhere beside our beds – and what's more, Harry and Ron and all of the Dumbledore's Army members know about that room so privacy is not guaranteed in any case…"

"You have a point there", Draco said thoughtfully, trying to figure out a way around that problem. "But what about a music room?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione sounded completely puzzled.

"Well, I just realized I miss your piano playing, so how about we wish for a music room – that way no one will be able to enter after us."

Draco was sure no one else in the castle would wish for a music room on their first evening back at Hogwarts, and he really did want to hear her play the piano again – and afterwards they could enjoy other 'activities' without interruption.

Hermione was deep in thought for a few moments, and then she sighed in defeat. "All right, then. You're lucky that I, too, miss playing the piano, otherwise I never would have agreed."

Together they went up to the seventh floor and sure enough, the door materialized in front of them and when they entered, they found a room similar to the music room from Chateau Malfoy. The only difference was that this room was smaller and had no windows, and the grand piano in the center of the room was white instead of black.

Draco took a seat on one of the armchairs closest to the piano, while Hermione sat down on the piano bench and then started playing. He let the music seep into his soul, and applauded loudly when she finished her piece. He recognized the song, it was the first that played when he and Hermione had waltzed in the ballroom on his birthday, and therefore a favorite of his – for the precious memory as well as for the beauty of the melody.

"Do you want to try and play something? I promised I'd teach you how", Hermione said, and Draco was really happy that she remembered.

He joined her on the piano bench and carefully listened to her instructions and after a dozen minutes or so, Draco was pleased that he could play a very simple version of a piece called "Ode of Joy", by one of Hermione's favorite composers, Beethoven.

"This is amazing", he said, enthusiastically. "Do you think we could do this every evening? I'd really love to learn how to play properly."

"I'm not sure we can have a piano lesson each and every evening – remember we have homework to do, our N.E.W.T.s to study for, Head Boy and Girl duties to patrol the corridors… It might be a bit too much, but I'm sure we can meet here a couple of times per week", Hermione replied with a smile.

Draco knew that she liked how interested he was in piano playing, but to him it was no surprise. They really were meant to be together, they had so many common interests and despite their opposite backgrounds, they completed each other perfectly. And he kind of wanted to test again how well they fit together physically too – Draco thought, and no sooner had the idea formed in his mind, that a king sized, four poster bad appeared in a corner of a room, and he silently thanked the Room of Requirement for being so responsive to student's wishes.

Unfortunately, Hermione had noticed the bed as well, and she was _not_ as pleased as he was.

"What is _that_ doing there?"

"Oh, I don't know", he replied in a fake innocent voice, "perhaps we're getting sleepy and the room wanted to help us out?"

"Nonsense, Draco, I'm sure the room is well aware that we're supposed to be sleeping in our dormitories, now that the school is not under the Carrows's control anymore, so don't think that excuse will work with me."

She was too smart for her own good, Draco thought, as he captured her lips with his own, effectively shutting her up.

She tried to back away and protest, but Draco would have none of it. In a smooth motion he got up and then swept her off the bench and carried her princess style to the bed, where he dropped her rather unceremoniously, knowing that it would disconcert her temporarily, giving him enough time to climb in over her and pin her hands above her head.

"All right, then, I admit it, the bed is definitely not for sleeping, and don't worry, eventually I'll let you get back to your dormitory, as I don't want to ruin your reputation", he said with a smirk, as he kissed her neck and nibbled on her hair.

"You're just full of consideration, aren't you?" she asked bitingly, but Draco noticed she didn't exactly protest.

He let her hands go so that he could undress her of her Gryffindor robe, though he was quite disgruntled to notice she had plenty of clothes underneath it too…

"Seriously, Draco, it doesn't feel right to be doing this _at school_ ", she whined, as he managed to rid her of her jumper too – only to be met by a lacy camisole. He silently cursed Scotland with its colder weather, as well as Hogwarts which could get rather drafty and chilly.

"I think it feels perfectly right to make some new, happy memories here", he said, as he managed to remove the camisole over her head, despite her attempts to prevent him from doing so.

"We have a curfew, you know that, right? Being Head Girl and Boy, we're not supposed to break it, but enforce it! Students aren't supposed to be out of bed after dark…" she said with a gasp, as Draco kissed her breasts through an extremely sexy black silk bra.

"But we're not _out_ of bed, we're _in_ bed", he drawled, as he kissed her lower, teasing her belly button with his tongue, while at the same time removing her dark gray skirt.

"You know what I mean!" she said tersely, but Draco noticed that involuntarily she had stopped trying to push him away, and was now caressing him back, her hands going through his hair in gentle motions that made his scalp tingle in a very pleasant way.

He disregarded her words, and worked on taking off her stockings and shoes at the same time, so that she was finally left in her black silk lingerie, looking sexier than he'd ever seen her before.

"And you mean to tell me you put on this lingerie and _didn't_ intend for me to see it?" he teased, as he kissed his way up her leg, until he reached her panties.

"What, I'm not allowed to wear pretty lingerie unless it's for you?" she asked, but Draco was sure it was false indignation he heard in her voice.

He would have loved to tease her some more, but his member was already painfully throbbing inside his pants, so he didn't take her bait and instead decided it was time to undress himself before moving on to the next stage. With practiced skill, he stripped in record time, and then got back to ridding Hermione of the last pieces of cloth covering her.

Draco stretched on top of her, reveling in the feeling of her naked body under his, and he kissed her, tasting her slowly, enjoying the sweetness of her mouth that was better than honey to him. He then bit her lip lightly and started nibbling down her neck, working his way to her breasts, which he adored – they were rather small but perfectly shaped and extremely responsive to his caresses.

As he licked and sucked her nipples, she felt Hermione take one of his hands in hers and as she brought it to her mouth, she first kissed the back of it, and then drew one of his fingers in her mouth and sucked on it.

Draco groaned with pleasure, the feeling was exquisite, not to mention it was evoking the image of her doing the same to his penis… but he didn't think he could handle that at the moment… he wanted her so bad that he was sure he'd come the minute her lips touched him, and in any case he preferred coming at the same time she did. There would be plenty of time to do more once he got enough of her, although something told him that his desire for Hermione would never lessen, only increase.

She was taking each of his fingers in her mouth in turn, licking them, sucking on them, and Draco felt that he wouldn't last much longer at that rate.

He reluctantly released her breasts, and trailed kisses down her stomach and even lower, tasting her core, eliciting from her those delightful little gasps and moans when his tongue hit and circled just the right spot.

When he felt Hermione arch into his touch and gasp his name, her hands frantically holding his head in place, Draco knew she was close to coming. He nonverbally chanted the birth control spell, then despite her protests he raised his head and entered her slowly instead, not allowing her to hurry him, teasing her to the very end – however, by his slower but deeper thrusts, when they did climax together, it was more shattering than ever before.

Draco then performed the Tergeo charm, with the last bit of strength he had left – he felt completely drained, not just by their love making, but by the long day as well. Still, he felt sated and happy to have Hermione in his arms. He noticed her eyes were almost closed, so she must be tired too – yet he heard her murmur 'Accio clothes' to retrieve their discarded clothing and then she slowly got up and started getting dressed.

Always so righteous! He really had to do something about that, and Draco was convinced that during this last year at Hogwarts he's manage to get her to relax. But what about the future?

"So where are you off to once you graduate? Joining Potter and Weasley in their Auror training?" Draco asked as he pulled his clothes back on.

"I did consider it, and I might do it, just to make sure I know all there is to know about defending myself as well as tracking and capturing dark wizards and witches… But being an Auror isn't really my thing, I would rather go work for the Ministry in a department where I can effect change and make a difference for the better…"

Draco thought that sounded familiar and then he remembered.

"Yes, it was the day after my birthday when you told me to come back to Hogwarts and finish my magical education, and then 'do something that will help people or that will do some good in the world.' Is this what you meant?" he teased.

But she didn't resent his teasing – in fact she appeared incredibly pleased that he remembered her words.

"That's exactly what I meant. Does this mean you plan to take my advice and join me at the Ministry?" she asked in a small voice.

She really had nothing to worry about, and Draco wanted to make that clear.

"Hermione, I'll follow you anywhere, by now you should know that", he said, and kissed her soundly on her smiling mouth.

* * *

He was just too amazing to believe, Hermione thought, delighted.

"Wonderful!" she said, and linked her arm through his, as they stealthily exited the Room of Requirement and then stopped to say goodbye, seeing as she needed to go to the Fat Lady's Corridor, while Draco needed to take the staircase that lead to the dungeons.

"Do you think everyone will know about us at breakfast tomorrow?" she asked warily. "Professor Dumbledore told Harry in our first year that if someone has a 'complete secret', it's only _natural_ for the whole school to know."

"Most likely", Draco told her, "I'm sure at least one of the people who know talked – perhaps it was Looney Lovegood, she's always with her head in the clouds and so candid that she'd spill everything if someone asked her. Or perhaps the Patil twins gossiped on the corridors and someone heard them… in any case, it's best to be prepared."

Hermione sighed, but then smiled up to him.

"I am", she whispered.

"Before we part for the night, tell me, what was that song you played on the piano?" he asked in hushed tones.

Hermione giggled silently at what he was curious about.

"Funnily enough, it's called 'Beauty and the Beast' from the animation with the same title – a television adaptation from the fairy tale."

Draco had a blank expression on his face and Hermione giggled again, muffling the sound by covering her mouth with her hand. She didn't want Peeves to hear them and come shouting "Students out of bed" or worse, "Head Boy and Girl out of bed"...

"I have _so_ many things that I want to show you – you _have_ to come over to my place during one of the breaks and we can watch the animation together. After all, it played a crucial part in our relationship", she said, giving him a light kiss on the lips.

"Of course, I'll come – although there really is no hurry, we have our entire lives to learn everything there is to know about each other. Still, I'm definitely coming with you during school breaks, I'm not letting you out of my sight, don't forget you belong with me now", he teased and gave her a kiss in return, although his was so deep that Hermione felt it all throughout her body, all the way down to her toes.

"And you belong with me", she replied, "so make sure you dream of me tonight."

She turned to go to her dormitory, and had taken several steps in that direction when Draco's reply came in a whisper, like a secret promise.

"Always…"

 **The (happily ever after) End**


	17. Epilogue

**A/N:** So you thought the story was over? Think again! :P

First of all I want to give a big 'thank you' to everyone who reviewed this story: CountryBaby93, Mary Norton, ndavis77, FranQuel, UnknownSoul-x , margaretl16 , Suzywan, Niamh x, Magic-Saphira and all the guest reviewers. I also want to thank everyone who follows the story and added it to their favorites, and of course, everyone who read it!

However, it is due to Magic-Saphira's request for me to write a sequel that I decided to do just that, even though at first I had no intention to do so in the near future – as I want to write new stories too. In any case, since I _was_ planning to write a sequel eventually, I start by writing a short epilogue to this story, and letting you know that the adventures of Hermione and Draco and all of their friends (and enemies) continue during their last year at Hogwarts.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

"Always…"

The whispered word echoed in the dark corridor and Hermione and Draco went to their own dormitories, smiling, filled with anticipation for the year to come, and completely oblivious of the danger that loomed ahead.

Unbeknown to them, someone had seen them exit the Room of Requirement together, and had heard their conversation.

"Always? Really?" the voice said and even in the darkness one could almost see the evil smile that accompanied those words. "We'll see about that…"

 **To be continued…**

* * *

 **A/N** : Yes, the story ends with a cliff-hanger that starts the plot for the sequel 'Never provoke a nice dragon', so look forward to the first chapter, that I will post soon! ^_^


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